Dalian: Japanese shipbuilder Kawasaki Heavy Industries has confirmed plans to construct gas carriers in China in a bid to be more competitive price-wise compared to its Korean rivals.
"Our Chinese venture, Nacks, has built a variety of vessels so far, and LNG and LPG carriers are the only area that has yet to be handled," Akio Murakami, head of Kawasaki Heavy's shipbuilding and offshore division, told Bloomberg in a recent interview. "Once we get the first contract and deliver a good vessel, many orders will follow."
Kawasaki Heavy reckons costs at its Chinese facilities are as much as 20% lower than at Korean yards.
Kawasaki Heavy has joint venture shipyards with Cosco in the Chinese cities of Nantong and Dalian.
Last year, SinoShip News reported Kawaski Heavy was looking at building LNG ships in China by 2018. In this latest interview, however, the yard boss intimated it could start gas ship construction in China by as early as 2017. [26/06/14]
