Norway's Aker Yards ASA announced a US$350 million (€275 million) contract on Thursday to build four ships for the Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group BV of Rotterdam.
Europe's largest shipbuilder said the ships will be specially designed parcel tankers, with stainless steel cargo tanks, for delivery in late 2008 and early 2009. Parcel tankers can carry bulk chemicals, edible oils, acids and other specialty liquids.
Oslo-based Aker Yard's President and Chief Executive Karl Erik Kjelstad said the contract strengthens his group's position as a builder of specialty tankers.
The new ships will be 182.72 meters (599.48 feet) long, 32.2 meters (105.64 feet) wide and with a deadweight of 43,000 tons, Aker Yards said in a statement.
The company said construction will be split between its Floroe yard in western Norway and its Damen Shipyards Okean in the Ukraine. The fore and after sections will be built in the Ukraine, and the middle sections Norway, where the ships will be completed.
Aker Yards has 20,000 employees at 17 shipyards in Brazil, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Romania and Ukraine. Its shares rose 2.1 percent to 490 kroner (US$74.24, €58.33) on the Oslo stock exchange.
Stolt-Nielsen Transportation group, with about 4,700 employees and more than 130 tankers, is a subsidiary of the Norwegian-owned Stolt-Nielsen SA group.