Caspian Shipping Company is pressing ahead with fleet expansion plans by lining up OSV orders at Baku Shipyard.
The Trend news agency cited the yard's general manager Imanverdi Hasanov as saying: "Discussions are ongoing for the construction of various vessels such as a new 100-ton lifting capacity DP2 crane vessel, a 50-ton lifting capacity DP1 crane vessel, a 50-ton bollard pull tug boat, and a 120-ton bollard pull anchor-handling tug supply vessel."
It has already been reported that CSC is ready to sign for four more 8,000-dwt crude tankers at Baku, in addition to the two it is already building. Two ro-paxes are also on order.
50 ships targeted
CSC has indicated it wants to buy and build about 50 new vessels over the next seven years.
Chairman Rauf Veliyev said the deals could include both newbuildings and second-hand buys and would be conducted up to 2025.
CSC has 14 vessels sailing in foreign waters under the Azerbaijani flag.
"Increasing the number of these vessels is one of our goals," Veliyev said.
The owner has 144 ships operational, including tankers, general cargoships, OSVs and ferries.
Its four current Baku Shipyard vessels are due in 2019.
The yard is a joint venture between national oil company Socar, Azerbaijan Investment Company (AIC) and Singapore's Keppel Offshore & Marine.
It was opened in 2013.
