Italian Shipping Company Ignazio Messina & C has placed an order worth USD 300 million with the Korean shipyard STX Offshore & Shipbuilding for construction of four new Ro-Ro container vessels.

The order comes within the framework of the company’s fleet expansion plans and embodies the second stage of the Ignazio Messina & C’s industrial plan (2009-2014), which included acquisition of four twin units in 2009, also worth USD 300 million, the Saudi Gazette writes.

The Genoese Messina Group’s engineers tailored the vessels exquisitely based on the company’s needs. The vessels, scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2014, are 240 meter long with 45,000 tons of deadweight and ability to accommodate 2.900 containers. In addition, 37.5 meters beam vessels have the ability of developing a maximum speed of 21.5 knots.

While designing the ships, Ignazio Messina & C has also paid a special attention to the environmental aspects of the containers, that is why they will incorporate state of the art antipollution systems, which include innovative and sophisticated exhaust gas cleansing.

STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., formerly known as STX Shipbuilding Co., engages in design, repair and construction of various types of ships such as container ships, gas carriers, bulk carriers, LNG carriers, ultra large-sized container ships, VLCCs, VLOCs, cruise ships and ferries, and offshore plants. It operates in East and Southeast Asia, Europe, Americas, Africa and the Middle East.