Chinese firms Cosco, Offshore Oil Engineering, China State Shipbuilding and China International Marine Containers have signed a memorandum of understanding with Brazilian shipbuilders EBR, Rio Grande, Mauá, Enseada and Atlântico Sul to develop new partnerships, Petrobras said, Bloomberg reported.
The agreement will also involve Petrobras and its logistics arm Transpetro as anchors for possible technological and commercial cooperation.
“We would like the Chinese to be partners in shipyards here,” Petrobras chief executive Magda Chambriard said at an event with executives in Rio de Janeiro. “We look forward to the injection of Chinese capital.”
Petrobras plans to contract five floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) units by 2030 and, together with Transpetro, order 52 new vessels by 2026.
The Brazilian government expects part of this fleet expansion, worth about BRL29bn ($5.28bn), to generate activity for domestic shipyards. The move supports President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s goal to strengthen Brazil’s manufacturing base.
The local shipbuilding sector has struggled since the Lava-Jato corruption investigation began in 2014, which implicated Petrobras and halted orders. Last year Petrobras resumed domestic contracts, ending a seven-year pause.
Source: Bloomberg