News
On Monday 29th March, Western Baltija Shipbuilding (WBS) held the Steel Cutting Ceremony to mark the start of construction of a new (partially equipped) hull. It will be the third hull an offshore patrol vessel to be built by WBS for German company. The vessel will be used by the German Federal Police.
The construction of the 86m long and 13m wide hull with the classic naval architectural features is to be completed by the WBS team and handed over to the customer by the end of November this year.
It is a modern ship, the construction of which requires deep technological knowledge on the part of the highly qualified WBS team members and engineers. The hull built by WBS will meet all the latest design, technology, and environmental protection requirements, to which the customer also pays special attention.
This hull like the other two analogous hulls built two years ago and partly equipped by the WBS team, will patrol German North and Baltic seas.
According to Vitalij Frolov, Director of WBS, the fact that Germany, a country famous all over the world for its modern shipbuilding companies, has decided to entrust an order of this scale and complexity to the Lithuanian shipyard is a significant recognition. WBS has been successfully building ‘turnkey’ ships and partly equipped ships for various purposes for several decades.
Arnoldas Šileika, CEO of the WSY Group, said that such orders are a part of the strategy that the company is consistently developing, in order to successfully establish itself in the segment of innovative shipbuilding that creates increased value.
‘Today, at the time of a global economic downturn, each new order is important to the company. New projects allow us to ensure the sustainable operation of the company, to preserve jobs, to make use of the accumulated experience and competencies that we have, and to create added value not only for the companies of the WSY Group, but also for the whole of Lithuania. Shipbuilding is a complex business, involving competition on a global scale and many market participants, therefore we would like to thank our customers for their trust in us, further cooperation and continuing partnership,’ said Mr Šileika.
