Work already appears to be brisk. Vietnam’s Minister of Transport, Nguyen Hong Truong, may have only cut the ribbon to mark the official opening but already shipping databases indicate the yard has 21 orders on its books.

Located near the port of Haiphong, Damen Song Cam is a joint venture between Dutch yard group Damen, which holds a 70% stake, and Vietnamese state-owned Shipbuilding Industry Corp (SBIC), previously known as Vinashin.

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