Aker MTW Werft (AMTW) in Wismar has secured contracts to build an additional six container vessels of its MTW 2500 vessel design for Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), the Teheran based shipowner. The total contract value is about $205 million. Two of the vessels will be built by Kvaerner Warnow Werft (KWW)
in Rostock-Warnemünde.
The synergies within the Aker Kvaerner Yards companies contributed strongly
to the success of the two German yards on this bid. The four vessels that
will be built by AMTW will be delivered between end of 2003 and mid-2004
while KWW will deliver two vessels in the second quarter of 2004. By
combining the resources of the AMTW and KWW yards, the two German yards are
able to complete this series of six container vessels by mid-2004. Each of
the yards would not be able to meet such a tight schedule separately.
Both under management of Aker Kvaerner Yards, AMTW and KWW have operated
under a joint
interim management team since the end of September. As
previously reported and with effect from the end of 2002, the two yards will
be combined into one company with yard sites in both Wismar and
Rostock-Warnemünde. Aker Yards will own 60 percent of the combined
business, while Aker Kvaerner will own the remaining 40 percent. The joint
production of the vessels will be a further step in the process to integrate
the two yard sites and to adjust and optimize the working processes.
The MTW 2500 vessels are 680.4 ft. (207.4 m) long and 97.7 ft. (28.8 m) wide, with a dead weight of 33,900 tonnes. Each has a total container stowage capacity of 2,478 TEU with 200 reefer sockets. With a main engine output of 21,560 kilowatts, thevessels have a service speed of 22.3 kn in design draught of 10.1 m.