NIKOLAEV, MAY, 23RD, 2008, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE — Universal dry-cargo ship keel under the order of the Dutch company «Damen Shipyards Bergum» has been laid on May, 22nd on State joint-stock holding company «Black Sea Shipbuilding Yard», “Context-Prichernomorie” correspondent reports.

The length of the dry-cargo ship will make 88.6 m, width — 12,5 m.

Deadweight of a vessel — 3 thousand 850 tons.

According to general director of State joint-stock holding company «BSSY» Ilya Gorn, by this laying of keel the factory launches a series from 4, and maybe even, 8 vessels. The contract with «Damen Shipyards Bergum» on construction of four hulls has been signed in December, 2007. Cost of the contract has made 17 million US dollars.

The vessel should be handed over to the customer in December of this year according to the plan. According to I.Gorn, the next vessel from the same series will be incorporated in June.

As main builder Igor Tatarchenko has noted, present laying is a significant event for the factory because vessel of such type has been laid for the last time in 2003. After that, the factory produced only small tows and was engaged in fine ship repair.

«It is possible to say that the new era has begun today in history of the Black Sea Shipbuilding Yard, an era of large-capacity shipbuilding», — I.Tatarchenko has told.

Representative of the customer Remko Bouma has explained in his interview to journalists that the company «Damen Shipyards Bergum» did not cooperate with BSYY before. It caused by caution in plans about construction of a series from 8 courts. Dutchs agreed to cooperate only after the factory management was replaced.

According to Mr. Bouma if everything will be all right they are ready to extend contracts with the factory.