MSC Group has set its sights on a move into the European shipbuilding and ship repair sector.
The Gianluigi Aponte-led company has notified the Romanian government of its desire to take over the management of Damen Shipyards Mangalia, in Romania, according to local reports.
The move puts the Geneva-based group in competition with Desan Shipyard of Turkey, which has also reportedly initiated negotiations with Romanian authorities for renting production capacities.
Prabhat Kumar Jha, chief executive of Cyprus-based MSC Shipmanagement, expressed MSC’s interest in a letter to the Romanian government sent on 20 April, according to Europa Libera Romania (ELR).
MSC has expressed its interest in using the shipyard for maintenance and repair services for its fleet, alongside existing facilities in Antwerp and Naples.
The letter also alludes to the possibility of newbuilding projects in a specialised shipping segment.
The growth of MSC’s fleet requires a large shipyard for new building programmes, currently concentrated in Asia for container ships and Europe for cruise ships, ELR notes.
“We intend to consider the Mangalia shipyard for future construction of cruise ships, ro-pax vessels and tug boats,” it added.
The shipyard is controlled by the Romanian state, with Dutch group Damen still holding a 49% stake and being the largest creditor.
The company has been going through insolvency proceedings for the past year, with debts of RON 1.87bn ($425m) that are said to surpass the value of its assets.
Work resumed at the shipyard in May, with a reduced workforce of 800 employees.
