Constanta launches tanker for local shipowner

The first ship built since 1990 for a Romanian ship owner was launched at Constanta Shipyard. The 41,000 TDW oil tanker ?Histria Perla? was designed by ICEPRONAV Galati and was ordered by Romanian businessman Gheorghe Bosinceanu.

The yard is building five similar ships for the same owner. Bosinceanu says the tankers are being built with credits obtained from the French bank Credit Agricole Lyonese. The credits, obtained through the mortgaging of each of the six ships, are to be paid back within 15 years. Each ship cost at least $40 million and the last is scheduled to be launched in June 2007.

According to Bosinceanu, the first oil tanker has already been rented for five years to the Italian oil company ENI.

Constanta Shipyard has also signed a contract with a German partner for the construction of four liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers. These contracts will ensure the production capacity of the shipyard until 2010.