Odense's shipbuilding days draw to a close

Dalian: There is probably a frisson of schadenfraude among Asia's yards today at the news overnight from Europe that Odense Steel Shipyard will stop all shipbuilding activity once its present 14-ship orderbook completed. That will translate into more Maersk ships being built out east.

After a board meeting on Monday, the AP Moller-Maersk-owned yard said that earlier plans to construct smaller, specialized ships were no longer viable. The yard will become an industrial park, ending 90 years of shipbuilding tradition that saw many design firsts including the Emma Maersk (pictured), which at the time of launching a couple of years ago was the largest boxship in the world. [11/08/09]