Stx Shipbuilding News

The trade union workers of South Korea's STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co. said Sunday they will stage a strike starting this week to protest the company's self-rescue plan, reports Yonhap. According to Korean media reports, the union would organize the strike action this week to express its disagreement with the company's planned restructuring program as it does not guarantee workers’ jobs. Starting today (Monday) 8:00 a.m., the union said 700 workers will walk out and called on the company to scrap the planned layoff of workers. "We will carry out a full strike for the time being, and hold protests and rallies to have the people become aware of unfairness surrounding the planned layoff," a union official said.

Qatar-based maritime and logistics conglomerate Milaha said it has acquired its largest container vessel to date, Majd, a 3,768 TEU vessel. Majd was built by STX Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. in South Korea, and has a length overall of 246.87 meters and a deadweight of 44,985 metric tons. The new vessel will be one of the 17 container vessels that the group operates, and is part of the ongoing expansion of the group’s overall fleet. Milaha currently fully owns and operates a fleet of over 80 vessels…

The French state is considering nationalising the Saint-Nazaire shipyards before selling it to new investors if no deal can be reached with Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri, Le Monde newspaper said on Friday. Shipbuilders MSC and Royal Caribbean have already expressed an interest, the newspaper said. State-owned Fincantieri has made a bid for STX France, which specialises in building cruise ships at France's Saint-Nazaire shipyard. The sale forms part of a broader sell-off of businesses following the demise of the South Korea's STX shipbuilding group. However, completion of the deal has been delayed as the French government has made clear it does not want Fincantieri alone to hold more than 50 percent of STX…

French industry minister Christophe Sirugue said he would meet Italy's Fincantieri in a week's time to discuss its bid for STX France, but added France was still against Fincantieri gaining dominance in the governance of STX France. "Our position is that we do not want Fincantieri to be the sole majority shareholder in the governance of Saint-Nazaire shipyards," Sirugue told Reuters on Friday, speaking on the sidelines of a news conference in Paris. "We continue to work with Fincantieri and we will probably have to meet again in a week's time". Attempts by the French government to ensure that Fincantieri does not take a majority stake in STX France are "unacceptable", a top Italian Treasury official said in La Repubblica newspaper on Feb 16.

France wants a "multiple shareholder" solution to STX France, the shipbuilding company being sold off, French President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday. "We are working with the aim that the state can remain a minority shareholder, we want a multiple shareholder solution," Hollande said, speaking at a news conference held with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has made a bid for STX France, but France - which owns 33 percent of the company - wants to ensure that the French state remains a key stakeholder in the firm. The head of French state-controlled military shipbuilder DCNS also said last week it was "very likely" that DCNS - in which Thales has a minority stake - would enter into the capital of STX France.

Hard to say 'Non' to Italian company's bid, says Sirugue; France keen to keep Saint Nazaire site running. A leading French minister expressed support on Wednesday for a bid by Italy's Fincantieri's for shipbuilder STX France, adding that the government would aim to keep the shipbuilder's main site running at Saint Nazaire. "We said we wanted a European, industrial company ... Fincantieri is a European, industrial company. So it would be hard for us to say 'no' to them," French Industry Minister Christophe Sirugue told RMC Radio. The sale of STX France, which specialises in building cruise ships at the Saint-Nazaire shipyard and is profitable, forms part of a broader sell-off of businesses following the demise of the South Korean STX shipbuilding group.

French state holds 33 pct of STX France; acquisition could boost Fincantieri's position in cruise shipbuilding. A South Korean court approved on Tuesday Italy's Fincantieri as the preferred bidder to buy shipbuilder STX France, helping Fincantieri move closer to a deal that could boost its position in the cruise shipbuilding market. The Seoul court spokesman, who announced the decision on Tuesday, declined to give further details on the situation, while a Fincantieri spokesman also declined to comment. The sale of STX France, which specialises in building cruise ships and is profitable, forms part of the broader sale of businesses from the demise of the South Korean STX shipbuilding group.

Italian shipbuilding and construction group Fincantieri SpA is the only bidder for shipping group STX France, a source close to the matter said on Tuesday. The sale of STX France, which specialises in building cruise ships in the western France city of Saint-Nazaire and is profitable, forms part of the broader sale of businesses from the collapsed STX shipbuilding group. A spokesman for a Korean court overseeing the process had said earlier on Tuesday that one bid had been received for the STX France business, without giving a name. A spokesman for the Seoul court overseeing STX Offshore's receivership had said in November that four parties had expressed interest in buying one or both of South Korea's STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co Ltd and a controlling stake in STX France.

STX Offshore & Shipbuilding has got the green light to carry on operations. A Seoul court today approved its rehabilitation plan, saving the yard, once the world’s fourth largest, from liquidation, reports Yonhap. STX Shipbuilding, once South Korea's No. 4 shipbuilder, has been placed under court receivership since June, amid a protracted slump in the shipbuilding industry. The Seoul Central District Court approved its revival plan, ending the financially shaky shipyard’s five-month long court receivership. The court said it is currently carrying out mergers and acquisitions (M&A) procedures for a smooth restructuring of the shipyard and is reviewing proposals from four enterprises that have been submitted as of last week. It is planning to receive acquisition proposals until Dec. 27.

Four parties have expressed interest in buying one or both of South Korea's STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co Ltd and a controlling stake in STX France SA, a spokesman for the Seoul court overseeing STX Offshore's receivership said on Friday. The Seoul Central District Court spokesman declined to comment on the names of the parties. The South Korean court in October decided to allow the two units of the collapsed STX shipbuilding group to be sold either separately or together. Initial bids were due on Friday for all of STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co Ltd and a 66.7 percent stake in STX France SA that is held by STX Europe AS. The four parties that entered non-binding bids in the sale were France's DCNS Group…

STX Offshore & Shipbuilding may be put under a court-led restructuring scheme, paving the way for the shipyard to avert liquidation, says a report in Korea Times quoting local court. Last month, STX Shipbuilding, once Korea's No. 4 shipbuilder, filed for receivership to stay afloat as its creditors decided to end a similar rehabilitation program for the shipbuilder. The shipbuilder is required to submit its self-rescue plan to the Seoul Central District Court by Sept. “It is regrettable that we have been put under court receivership but it is also fortunate at the same time that we avoided the worst-case situation,” STX CEO Lee Byung-Mo said in a message to employees.

South Korean shipbuilder STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co Ltd will likely need to enter court-supervised receivership due to financial difficulties, the firm's lead creditor Korea Development Bank said on Wednesday. STX Offshore's creditors took control of the company in 2013 after the shipbuilder was hit by falling ship prices following the global financial crisis. A Korea Development Bank spokesman said the firm's creditors will decide on how to proceed with the court receivership process by the end of the month…

Creditors of financially troubled STX Offshore & Shipbuilding are opposing financial aid for the shipyard citing the gloomy outlook of the shipbuilding industry, Korea’s Yonhap News has reported. Creditors of STX Offshore, led by the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), decided to provide 450bn won ($384m) in financial aid to the shipyard last week in return for a thorough restructuring. But Woori Bank and KEB Hana Bank notified other creditors that they would not join the plan citing the shipbuilding industry’s worsening business conditions. STX Offshore is expected to receive the financial assistance as planned without the two lenders’ help.

The South Korean shipyard STX Offshore & Shipbuilding is apparently close to a bankruptcy if not yard soon find new vendors who are willing to pump huge sums into the yard. Otherwise, there is the prospect of a collapse in the first half of the 2016th. STX Shipbuilding CEO Lee Byung-Mo recently sent a message to its employees, saying, “If we operate our company the way it is without special countermeasures, we will be short of funds worth hundreds of billions of won in the next three years. Heo expects to suffer severe financial difficulties since the company still couldn’t make profits even after STX Shipbuilding used up 4.5 trillion won (US$3.86 billion) of funds received from the creditors in 2013.

South Korean shares rebounded Tuesday from the prior session's fall as local institutions rushed to hunt for bargains on views that the recent decline was excessive. STX Group shares benefit from the rebound. STX group shares ended bullish on news that its shipbuilding unit was assessed to have higher value of business continuation than liquidation value, reports Xinhua. The holding company STX Corp. surged at the daily permissible limit of 15 percent, and STX Heavy Industries and STX Engine jumped 9.4 percent and 13.3 percent each. The shipping unit STX Pan Ocean, which filed for court receivership, tumbled 14.8 percent. Source: Xinhua

The Shipping Corporation of India Ltd. (SCI) accepts bulk carrier 'Vishva Vijay' from STX Shipbuilding, Dalian, China. The vessel is the third in a series of four Panamax bulk carriers ordered by SCI from STX (Dalian) Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., China. These vessels are of higher capacity, over 80,000 dwt each, compared with conventional Panamax vessels which are of about 75,000 dwt. MV Vishva Vijay has a gross tonnage of 44,010 tonnes and deadweight of 80,312 tonnes. The new ship is dually classed with LR and IRS and has been built to comply with the latest and most stringent international regulations. As a National carrier, SCI has been aiming to increase its presence in India’s ever increasing dry bulk trade and strengthening the bulk carrier fleet would help SCI contribute to that growth.

STX Europe AS appointed Su-Jou Kim as its new President and CEO. Su-Jou Kim will replace Sang-Ho Shin, and will start in his new position with immediate effect. Sang-Ho Shin joined STX Europe in September 2008, initially as COO, and since May 2009 as President & CEO. Shin has been appointed COO of STX Offshore & Shipbuilding and head of STX's shipbuilding operations in Korea. Shin will remain a Board member of STX Europe AS. Su-Jou Kim has held various management positions within the STX Business Group - most recently as Head of Business Development and Deputy President of STX Corporation. Mr Kim is well known with STX Europe since he spent significant amounts of time with the company in 2008, including holding the position of Chairman of STX Europe AS from September 2008 to March 2009.

According to a Feb. 26 report from Reuters, South Korea's STX Group, which runs the world's No. 4 shipbuilder and No. 5 dry bulk carrier, said new ship orders could resume in the second half when financing difficulties ease. Its shipmaking arm, STX Shipbuilding, is aiming to boost new orders for offshore vessels and plants by 80 percent this year to $1.8b, Vice Chairman Lee Jong-chul told reporters. (Source: Reuters)

MAN Diesel’s type 51/60DF four-stroke, medium speed dual-fuel gas engine has passed the final landmark on its way to its first commercial applications in the marine sector. Having gained type approval in autumn 2007 on the seven cylinder prototype engine in the presence of eight major classification societies, the first production versions of the 51/60DF recently completed their factory acceptance tests (FAT) at MAN Diesel’s Augsburg works. The FATs were witnessed by representatives from shipyard STX of Korea, ship owner EN Elcano of Spain and classification society Bureau Veritas.

At the recent ABS Council meeting, 31 prominent members of the shipping and offshore industries were elected as new members of the prominent international classification society. The ABS Council also elected seven new members to the society’s Technical Committee. “Our strength as a classification society is the breadth of experience and depth of wisdom of our membership,” said ABS Chairman & CEO Robert D. Somerville. Zamil A. Thomas J. Angiolino, Senior Vice President, Willis of New York, Inc. Commodore R. Balasubrmaniam, IN (Retd.), Director, Rajapur Shipyard Pvt. Ltd. Dong-Su Choi, President & CEO, SLS Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. Robert G. George A. Cupstid, Senior Vice President and General Manager, LeTourneau Technologies, Inc. Tim E. Steven Durrell, President, Irving Shipbuilding Inc.

The first vessel built to new global standards for ice-class vessels was unveiled on Nov. 10 when the Primorsk Shipping Corporation (PRISCO) named the MV Prisco Alexandra, a 51,000 deadweight-tonne product tanker built in Korea to rules developed by Lloyd’s Register. Prisco Alexandra, the first of seven sisterships being built for PRISCO at STX Shipbuilding Corp’s yard in Jinhae, was built to a new winterization notation that dramatically extends the coverage of current standards beyond basic hull structures to include the products and equipment that are essential for safe and reliable operations in frigid temperatures. “There is a growing requirement for our clients to operate vessels in the harsh conditions of the Arctic…

STX Shipbuilding Co., received a contract to build two bulk carriers worth $129m from a customer in Asia. The vessels, which can each carry 81,000 metric tons of commodities, will be delivered by December 31, 2011, the Jinhae, South Korea-based company said Monday. Source:  Bloomberg

STX Shipbuilding Co., has won a $105m deal to build two product tankers. The deal with a European shipping company calls on STX Shipbuilding to deliver the vessels by May, 2011, the company said in a regulatory filing. The South Korean shipyard did not identify the buyer.  (Source: Yonhap)