Rolls lands shipbuilding contract

Rolls Royce's customer base includes 2,000 marine firms

Aerospace engine-maker Rolls-Royce has won contracts worth £45m to build six ships for Brazilian and Chilean firms.

The company will supply design and equipment packages for four ships for Brazilian firm Companhia Brasileira de Offshore (CBO).

The 3,000-tonne vessels will be built in a shipyard near Rio de Janeiro, ready for delivery by 2010.

Rolls-Royce will also build two ships for Chilean shipyard Asnavales SA, boosting its position in Latin America.

This is the first time that Rolls-Royce has supplied its designs and equipment for ships to be ordered from Chile.

The Brazilian ships will be used by Brazil's state oil company, Petrobas, while the Chilean ships will be supplied to an international ship owner.

Rolls-Royce has 10 vessels currently under construction in Brazil.