PT PAL Delivers New Chemical Tanker

East Java-based Indonesian shipbuilder PT PAL launched a new chemical tanker on Thursday in Surabaya about a year after PT PAL started to build the ship amid the global economic downturn and financial troubles.

The 6,200 tonnes ship ordered by Italian Mediterania Di Navigazione was launched this morning at the warship dock unit of PT PAL as chief director Har Susanto said “we are grateful that in the middle of the recession we are able to finish the tanker.”

The company said Bank Negara Indonesia provided US$2,1 million loan for the project while the company is expecting financial assistance of US$44 million from the state assets management company Asset Management Indonesia (Perusahaan Pengelola Aset).

The ship 100 meter-long tanker, which constructed partly of super duplex to contain chemical substance, was quie competitive in price compared to tankers build by other shipbuilders in Korea, Japan, Turkey, and China according to a spokesman for Mediterania Di Navigazione, Paolo Cagnani during the launching ceremony.

The shipbuilder, which has produce 259 ships, was founded in 1939 by the Dutch collonial which changed name during the Japan occupation before taken by the government after the Indonesia's independence.