August the 19th, 2022 - The Brodosplit shipyard is continuing to face significant problems, but it seems that a saviour has come at the last moment in the form of a contract between the famous Dalmatian shipyard and the American Storylines company. Debeljak's troubled company will build the massive vessel, the estimated retail sales value of which stands at US $1.5B
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Brnic writes, Brodosplit is currently suffering the fate of both the Uljanik and 3 Maj shipyards in the form of attracting negative attention with press reports about the pre-bankruptcy process of its companies. Despite the fact that Brodosplit's employees had been sent home, it seems the company will now be able to breathe a sigh of relief.
The story that Brodosplit could participate in the construction of the first so-called residential cruise ship with 547 apartments is the absolute last thing anyone could have ever possibly expected in the current uncertain situation. It seems suspicious that the Americans would sign a contract to build a ship of that size and cost. While many raise their eyebrows in disbelief, it has come to light that this fantastic piece of news is indeed true. According to the press release provided by Storylines from Miami, the contract with Brodosplit has already been signed.
Brodosplit will build a 232.5-metre-long Narrative ship in the City of Split, which, according to the press release, will be the first fully ecologically sustainable ship, and should be delivered in 2025.
"We're delighted to be partnering with such a respected European shipyard that has a long history of building high-quality passenger ships," said Storylines CEO Alister Punton. According to him, the ship will provide its residents with the comfort of home. It differs from other cruisers in that it is intended for the complete life of residents at sea. It will also boast a post office, a school, a library, a hospital, a bank, swimming pools, business premises and about 20 different catering facilities. It will also be the largest wellness centre at sea in the world with its own gardens, farms and space for several types of sports and recreation on board.
For more than understandable reasons, Brodosplit has been very brief in its communication about the construction of the ship. Everything, they say, was said in the Storylines press release, which also includes Tomislav Debeljak's statement.
"We always enter into projects that bring about the development of the industry and the inclusion of new technologies. This ship is energy efficient, with two types of propulsion (diesel and liquefied gas) and will be optimised for the lowest possible emission of greenhouse gases," Debeljak said in his statement.
Their American partner, therefore, still believes that Brodosplit is a good choice for a partnership, and the second question to now keep in mind is how the Croatian Government will behave, given that Brodosplit needs an advance guarantee to get things moving.
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