The Martifer group, owner of the company West Sea, a sub-concessionaire of the Viana do Castelo shipyards, ended the year 2023 with the largest order book in its history: 753 million euros (an increase of 300 million compared to the previous year), with the shipping industry business representing 507 million of the total.
It is worth remembering that, in addition to the tourist ships for businessman Mário Ferreira’s group, the Viana do Castelo shipyards will build six ocean patrol ships for the Navy, for around 300 million euros, and a luxury cruise ship, in value of 100 million euros, for Japan.
According to a statement sent to the Securities Market Commission (CMVM) and cited by Jornal de Negócios, the naval industry, with the West Sea shipyards in Viana do Castelo and Navalria in Aveiro, generated sales of 63 million euros for a Martifer’s global turnover of 219.9 million euros in 2023, 8.4 million more than in the previous year.
Metallic construction represented almost two thirds (140.4 million euros) of the Oliveira de Frades group’s turnover and renewable energy generated the remaining revenue.
According to the same source, at the end of December, the Martifer group’s gross debt was 91 million euros, six million less than a year before, while the net debt was reduced from 33 million to just 8 million euros.
In the statement to the CMVM, Martifer reveals that it intends to increase its ship repair capacity “through the construction of a new dry dock at the shipyards in Viana do Castelo”.
The objective is to position them “as one of the most important shipyards in Europe in this area and make shipbuilding and repair activities increasingly balanced in the relative weight of turnover”.
