The construction of a shipyard, specialising in building ships for special purposes, began on February 16 in Nhan Trach district in the southern province of Dong Nai.

The shipyard, the largest of its kind in southern Vietnam, is invested at a cost of nearly VND600 billion by the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (Vinashin).

It will be capable of building and repairing container ships, oil and liquefied gas tankers and military ships of up to 20,000 dead weight tonnes for domestic consumption and export.

Vinashin said that the shipyard, which will be enlarged with a wing to manufacture ship accessories, is expected to help it increase the percentage of local content of its products to 60 percent by 2010.