Following the signing of a US$25 million contract to build two general cargo ships for a German client, the Israel Shipyards held a keel-laying ceremony.
The two 90 meters long vessels on order, are classified as dwt 4,500 bulk vessels which can transport , in addition to ordinary bulk cargo, heavy and oversize cargoes.
Israel Shipyards Ltd. is one of the largest privately owned shipbuilding and repair facilities in the Eastern Mediterranean. The manufacturing and repair plant is spread over 400,000 sq.m. with 30,000 sq.m. of under-roof facilities. ISL operates a floating dock of 20,000 tons of lifting capacity and has a total wharf length of 900 meters with 12 meters of water depth.
The first customer ordered two ships which will be employed by European cement manufacturers.
Avi Shahaf director general of Israel Shipyards said, following the keel-laying ceremony, that the yard had made a strategic move towards the setting up of modern shipbuilding facility in Israel.
He added that together with the recently granted a license to operate a private port, the first in Israel, it would strengthen the company's position and enable it to enter new civilian projects.
