PAL starts cargo ship

JAKARTA (JP): State-owned shipbuilding company PT PAL Indonesia started the construction of a 42,000-deadweight-ton open hatch bulk carrier yesterday.

Company production director Arief Aini said the ship, ordered by German firm Egon Oldendorf, was the third ship to be made by the company for export, and the largest ever to be built by the company.

The keel of the 195-meter-long vessel was laid in a special ceremony at PT PAL's facilities. Construction is scheduled to finish in May 1997 and the ship would be delivered to the German firm five months later, Arief was quoted by Antara as saying.

PT PAL is going to build four cargo ships of the same type, two for Egon Oldendorf and two others for the German company Reederei F. Laiesz, he said. (jsk)