Another boost for the Croatian shipbuilding industry.
“A floating hotel for animals”, that is how the new ship to be built in the Pula-based shipyard Uljanik was described by Serđo Pajković, one of the managers of the shipyard, reports Novi List on September 29, 2015. He wanted to demonstrate just how sophisticated the ship for the transport of live animals will be. The contract signing ceremony was attended by management of the Livestock Transport & Trading Co. from Kuwait, who have pointed out that, after having contacted many of the world’s shipyards, they had chosen Uljanik to build the first new ship in their fleet. Pajković explained that this kind of ship is normally produced by conversion of other types of vessels.
This will be the fastest ship for the transport of livestock in the world. It will be able to sail at a speeds of almost 20 knots. It will be over 180 metres long, and will have 28,000 square metres of cargo space. It will be able to transport 80,000 sheep or 10,000 cattle and 23,000 sheep, and will connect Australia and the Persian Gulf.
Special attention will be paid to the safety of animals, which is something that the client insist on. The main goal is for livestock to reach its destination alive, without injury or infections. “It is a special ship which will satisfy the strict Australian regulations”, said Pajković.
The company from Kuwait, according to its director Bader Al Subaiee, was established in 1973. The ship they have ordered from Uljanik will be the largest and fastest in their fleet. “It is important for us to reach new markets, so the ship has to meet the highest standards”, said Al Subaiee. Executive director of the company Osama Bodai stressed that the ship, which will modernize their fleet, should be just the first in a series, which means that the cooperation with the Pula shipyard could be long-term.
The handover of the ship will take place in July 2017, and both sides have pointed out that the signing of the agreement came after a year and a half of working on the project. Importantly, all parts of the ship will be produced at the Uljanik shipyard.
