MHI on the up

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Japan’s largest shipbuilder, said it has received orders for 23 vessels totalling 1.48 million gross tons in 2006, up from 21 vessels weighing 1.08million gross tons a year earlier.

On a deadweight tonnage basis, orders reached 1.20 million tonnes this year, rising from 1.12 million in 2005. The increase was mainly accounted for by orders for offshore vessels.