Stx Europe Asa News

The French Republic became a 33.34 percent shareholder in STX France and its shipyards in Saint-Nazaire and Lorient. STX Europe is a builder of cruise ships and ferries, with a market share of 35 - 40 percent. The company builds cruise ships at its yards in France and Finland. The French yards also have experience with navy vessels. Other shipyards in STX Europe are build specialized offshore vessels. The new agreement between STX Europe and the French Republic is a realization of the memorandum of understanding announced by the two parties on June 12, 2008. The French Republic will acquire the 33.34 percent interest in STX France via an equity investment of $139.7m which is expected to be made on November 7, 2008.

STX Europe has refinanced its revolving credit facility. The new facility is a 3 year financing of $86.8m, provided by Nordea. Woori Bank of Korea, is participating with 50 percent. "For a capital intensive industry like ours, where we continuously take on and complete new shipbuilding projects, the ability to constantly renew our financial platform is important. I am pleased to see that we have been able to work with and secure this significant credit facility in October, while there has been much focus on the international financial turbulence. I believe that our ability to finalize this transaction is an illustration of the importance of close and long-term relationship with financial institutions…

Aker Yards, builder of cruise and offshore vessels, changed its name to STX Europe. The name change reflects the entry of the South Korean-based STX Business Group as principal shareholder in the company during summer 2008. Effective Nov. 3, the international shipbuilding group Aker Yards, with head office in Oslo, Norway, and all its subsidiaries, will share the common brand STX Europe.STX Europe specializes in designing and building advanced cruise ships and purpose-built vessels for offshore oil and gas operations, and other specialized ships. All the largest cruise ships in the world were built or are currently under construction at STX Europe's yards.

While the revenues grew with 14.2 percent and new order intake amounted to NOK 7 344 million, an ongoing project within Offshore & Specialized Vessels for A.P. Moller - continued to negatively influence the EBITDA result also in the third quarter. The transaction with FLC West was completed at the end of July. This resulted in a profit from discontinued operations of NOK 791 million and increased the equity ratio to 22 percent. As communicated in the report for the second quarter 2008, several ships in a series of ten vessels for A.P. Moller - Maersk have suffered from delays and poor quality. This project constitutes a significant part of the ongoing projects within the business area Offshore & Specialized Vessels.