DNV's presence in Croatia secures 65 percent share of the newbuilding market.

The launch of the first in a series of eight tankers for Concordia at the Uljanik shipyard in March this year.

Shipbuilding to DNV class in Croatia first happened in the late 1960s, when Norwegian shipowners placed newbuilding orders with the Uljanik Shipyard in Pula. Today DNV accounts for some 65 percent of the Croatian orderbook.

In 2003 the orderbook stood at 16 vessels but, as of June this year, the orderbook has experienced a dramatic increase of more than 100 percent to 36 vessels, totalling some 1.35Mgrt. Croatian shipbuilding activities are currently focusing on the chemical and product tanker trade, but it is becoming increasingly more active in the ro-ro business.

For DNV, the increased orderbook is particularly impressive because of the last 30 vessels contracted during the past year; all but two vessels are to DNV class, giving DNV a 65 percent share of all newbuildings ordered from Croatian shipyards.

Ioannis Kourmatzis, regional manager for Southern Europe, comments: "The four main shipyards, all of which are state controlled, have no slots available until the end of 2007. Indeed, this boom in the region's shipbuilding productivity has provided DNV with a steady workload and helped assure our significant presence in this part of the world."

Croatia and Poland are the main shipbuilding countries in Eastern Europe, and according to Kourmatzis, current statistics show that Europe is beginning to threaten Japan's dominant position as the world's 'Number Two' shipbuilding nation. (Korea, of course, is in pole position.)

Adds Kourmatzis, "A good working relationship with the yards, dedication of our hard-working employees and above all, good team-work with DNV units in shipowner regions such as Scandinavia, Russia, Latvia and Israel, have helped secure this enviable position."