- Winning an order to build four 57,300 DWT bulk carriers from Turkey's Densa

- A rebound in new orders compared to last year, making the outlook for the industry brighter

STX Offshore & Shipbuilding has obtained the first ship order this year, going on its consecutive orders since the end of last year. STX Offshore & Shipbuilding (President: Hong Kyung-jin) said that it recently won an order for four 57,300 DWT bulk carriers (including an option for two additional vessels) from the Turkey shipper Densa.

The vessels will have a length of 190 meters, a width of 32.3 meters and a height of 18.5 meters with a speed of 14.5 knots. They will be built at its Jinhae Shipyard and be delivered from 2011. Amid tough times for shipbuilding industry worldwide last year due to the sharp decrease in the number of ship orders, STX Group achieved meaningful results with its major affiliate shipbuilders including STX Offshore & Shipbuilding and STX Europe winning orders for 31 vessels worth $2.5 billion.

In particular, compared to its first order in April last year, a successful order for merchant ships at the beginning of the year brightens the outlook for orders. STX Offshore & Shipbuilding will focus on new businesses such as ocean plant and special ship to achieve its targeted orders. In addition, it plans to accelerate R&D in order to secure competitiveness of futuristic high value-added ship products.

As STX Europe also achieved orders last year for ice breaking shuttles, helicopter carriers, polar supply and research vessels and platform supply vessels in the ocean plant and special ship business, it plans to continue to positively obtain orders this year in the business. Because cruise lines which hesitated to place new orders last year are expected to resume orders, cruise line business will see brisk performance.

Additionally, along with such ship development projects as ice breaking shuttle LNG carriers and ice-class container vessels which were jointly developed by STX Offshore & Shipbuilding and STX Europe, synergy effects between global production networks are expected to be generated in marketing, purchasing, procurement as well as R&D.

An STX official said, ¡°Shipbuilding industry has been gradually recovering due to an increase in new orders since the end of last year.¡± ¡°As ship owners who start discussing new contracts are slowly on the increase, this year we expect to reach an increased number of orders compared to last year,¡± the official added.