China Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group Holdings Limited, a large heavy industries group in China, has signed a shipbuilding contract for a series of 64,000 DWT bulk carriers with a European shipowner, the company said in its press release.
The shipbuilding contract will increase the total number of vessels involved between the two partie s to 36. Including options, the shipbuilding contract is worth approximately USD1 billion. The shipbuilding contract involves not more than 36 of 64,000 DWT bul k carriers, which consist of 24 confirmed orders and 12 options. Among the 24 confirmed orders, 18 of them are existing orders with better contractual terms after renegotiation, while the remaining 6 are new orders. These vessels are scheduled to be delivered within the next three years . The 64,000 DWT bulk carrier is the smallest bulk carrier ever built by the Group in terms of its tonnage.
Mr. Chen Qiang, chairman of the board of directors, executive director and chief executive officer, said, “In view of the current market condition, we will maximize sales effort s to and secur e additional orders , and pursue better payment terms of certain existing orders. ” Besides, on top of the 3 Panamax bulk carriers delivered earlier this year, the Group has just delivered its first 157, 000 DWT Suezmax tanker, which has been upgraded and optimized from the pr evious 156,000 DWT Suezmax tanker, in early May.