Says CEO of the Korean Register
According to Oh Kong-gyun, Chairman and CEO of the Korean Register, the global shipbuilding sector should seek growth opportunities from the offshore industry.
Speaking at the 4th Seoul International Shipbuilding and Maritime Conference (SIMS) in Korea this week, Mr Oh explained that while the world fleet is continuing to grow, the number of new orders decreased within the period 2006-2009.
“It can be assumed”, he said, “that over the coming 10 years, the yearly average newbuilding order book will be less than that of the past 10 years. The demand for containers, tankers and LNG carriers will decrease, while the construction of offshore platforms will show strength in the market place owing to a high demand for energy, increased investment in the exploitation of oil and gas and higher oil prices. The increased demand for deep-sea crude oil and natural gas will also lead to heightened newbuilding activities for deep-sea oil platforms. The operational areas for these platforms will be mainly in Africa and the Gulf of Mexico”
Mr Oh was joined at this year’s SIMS event by Mr Oh-Yoon Kwon General Manager, KOSHIPA, the Korean Shipbuilders’ Association who reminded delegates that Korea has been the global leader in shipbuilding since 2002. He went on to say that although the markets were still uncertain, Korean shipbuilders had experienced a recovery in new orders during the first half of 2011. To assist with securing further new business, the yards were concentrating on innovation and maintaining top quality management.
The SIMS conference is held each year in Seoul, Korea and this year was attended by around 200 international delegates and speakers. Conference topics included future prospects for the international shipping and shipbuilding markets, green-ship technology and the global piracy problem. Speakers were invited from a range of European, American and Asian shipping interests including shipbuilding, finance, legal, ship-operating, research and classification.
Source: Korean Register of Shipping
