Fincantieri and CSSC sign MoU to extend merchant shipbuilding

The two had previously agreed cooperation in cruise ship construction. The new agreement says the parties will discuss the possibility to extend their current cooperation to include joint construction of vessels for the oil and gas industry; cruise ferries; megayachts; specialist vessels; steel infrastructures; marine engineering and equipment procurement as well as cruise cabins, interior decoration, and the establishment of a reliable supply chain in the cruise sector in China. “The parties may consider additional cooperation opportunities and may therefore extend the scope of the agreement to other areas;” Fincantieri said. Fincantieri and CSSC will establish a joint working group, composed of six members with technical expertise. This group aims, by the end of the year, to conclude its preliminary assessement. The group will define potential opportunities for each of the areas identified for the collaboration, analyse the market size and identify preferential sales channel, and analyse potential partnership among CSSC and Fincantieri group companies or its network of suppliers. In February 2017, Fincantieri, CSSC and Carnival Corporation had signed a binding agreement for the construction of two cruise ships, with an option for additional four, at the CSSC Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS) shipyard.