SPLIT SPLIT, June 7 (Hina) - A 280-metre-long and 49-metre-wide oil tanker, with a carrying capacity of 168,000 tons, was launched in Split's shipyard Brodosplit on Saturday afternoon.
SPLIT, June 7 (Hina) - A 280-metre-long and 49-metre-wide oil
tanker, with a carrying capacity of 168,000 tons, was launched in
Split's shipyard Brodosplit on Saturday afternoon. #L#
The largest tanker ever built by a Croatian shipyard was ordered by
Zadar's Tankerska plovidba shipping company and costs US$51
million. The Zadar company has ordered another such vessel, to be
built by the end of 2004.
The tankers are part of a government programme aimed at boosting the
construction of vessels by domestic shipyards for domestic
clients.
The "Alan" was christened by President Stjepan Mesic, who said that
the shipbuilding industry accounted for as much as 16 percent of the
country's annual exports. He called on the government to help the
shipbuilding industry as it was also important for the
implementation of Croatia's Adriatic strategy.
"There can be no progress without the sea, without the development
of the shipbuilding sector, tourism, shipping and fishing...," he
said, stressing the importance of preserving the environment and
the Adriatic.
"A way to do that is establishing an economic zone, and all
countries with access to the Adriatic should have the same
obligations," he said.
Shipping companies are faced with problems due to changes on the
international shipping market and need government assistance,
Mesic said, adding that all old ships should be replaced with new
ones or modernised.
(hina) rml