Estimated value of current shipbuilding contracts in Croatia is $1,65 billion
In Croatian shipbuilding, an industry which is now halfway through a restructuring process under the strict supervision of the European Commission, 2015 will be remembered as the year in which order books were filling up almost monthly and the total value of orders reached $1,65 billion.
According to the statement released by the Croatian Government on January 12, 2016, Croatian shipbuilding is now ranked 2nd in Europe and 10th in the world. Considering that this industry is recording a significant decrease in new orders and projects on a global scale, Croatian shipyards really do have a reason to celebrate.
Here is a brief overview of the current state in the largest shipyards in Croatia. Largest shipyards in Split, Trogir, Rijeka and Pula signed contracts to the value of $1,75 billion for 44 ships with a total carrying capacity of 675 000 tonnes. These numbers do not include projects which are not directly linked to shipbuilding such as the construction of gates for Venice, cranes and containers being constructed in Brodosplit or large repairs in Brodotrogir (all bringing substantial additional revenue to these shipyards).
Croatian shipyards are well within their annual production allowance imposed by the EU as a part of their restructuring process, in fact, they are currently working with 25% of their maximum capacity.
European shipyards are currently producing 13% of the total value of all shipbuilding contracts in the world. Unlike South Korean and Chinese shipyards which were hit by the decrease in demand and contract cancellations, especially for offshore ships, their European counterparts are stable, mostly due to their focus on passenger ships and special purpose vessels.
