Orders at Japanese shipyards rose 158% in July as shipowners rushed to build ships that will comply with the International Maritime Organization’s new standards, which will take effect from 1 July 2016.
Figures from the Japan Ship Exporters’ Association (JSEA) showed that its member shipyards secured 25 export orders of 1,445,999 tonnes in July 2015, compared with nine export orders of 559,670 tonnes won in July 2014.
There were 98 export orders of 4,671,040 tonnes in June 2015, compared with 91 export orders totalling 3,392,460 tonnes in June 2014.
The IMO’s goal-based standards, which apply to bulkers and tankers, require wider and thicker timber in the construction of cargo holds. Consequently, the total steel weight would be increased correspondingly.
Related news: Japan ship orders up 38% in June
Accordingly, the International Association of Classification Societies has amended its common structural rules, which entered into force in July 2015.
The JSEA said the orders that its members received in July included 15 bulkers, which consisted of nine Handysizes, four Handymaxes, and two Panamaxes.
In addition, JSEA member yards won orders for two general cargo ships, five container ships, two liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and one chemical tanker.
JSEA member shipyards exported 40 ships of 750,094 tonnes in July, down from the 27 ships of 1,023,338 tonnes delivered in July 2014.
As of 31 July 2015, Japanese shipyards’ outstanding orderbook stood at 686 ships of 32,368,909 tonnes, compared with 699 ships of 29,361,120 tonnes during the same period in 2014.
This post was sourced from IHS Maritime 360: View the original article here.
