Norwegian shipbuilder Aker Yards said Monday it had signed a 320-million-euro deal with Russian mining giant Norilsk Nickel over four container/cargo ships for arctic operations and an option for a fifth newbuilding.

The newly contracted vessels are to be built by Aker’s German shipyards, not the Helsinki one that delivered MS Norilskiy Nickel, the prototype ship, in April

Mikko Niini, the chief executive of Helsinki-based Aker Arctic, said the Helsinki yard was kept busy thanks to a thick passenger ship order book.

Aker Yards has 15 shipyards in six countries. The Finnish yards are in Helsinki, Turku and Rauma.

Aker Arctic is the group’s ice technology laboratory. MS Norilskiy Nickel, which is 169 metres long, and its future sister vessels can move efficiently through solid ice as thick as 1.5 metres.

/STT/

© Copyright STT 2006

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