The company thus wants to revert to growth after the shipbuilding market has in recent years suffered from falling volumes of freight transported on seas and rivers. The shipyard, building inland ship bodies, targets revenue worth RON59.3 million, up 21% from the 2014 level, while gross profit is expected to rise by 18% against 2014, to RON5.6 million.
“There are some new contracts, but growth will particularly be triggered by our activity specific, where the building of a ship body takes six-seven months. At the end of last year, we had a series of ships in advanced execution stages and they will be delivered this year,” said Gheorghe Caraiman, the company’s economic manager.
In 2014, the shipyard delivered six ship bodies and in 2015 the production target envisages eight or nine new ships. The shipyard’s clients are usually West-European companies that outsource the construction of ship bodies. Last year, 82% of sales went to Dutch-held Rensen-Driessen, as well as Severnav.
“In 2015, the structure of clients will change a little, in the sense that 47% of production will be destined to Damen,” specified Caraiman.
In 2014, Orsova shipyard returned to profit after having piled up losses of over RON10 million in 2012 and 2013 and the company wants to stay in the black in 2015 as well, though it will not award dividends as own funding possibilities are low.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)