Aker Solutions has laid the foundation stone of a new plant in Paraná that will double the company's subsea production capacity in Brazil.
The plant in the city of São José dos Pinhais in the Paraná state in Brazil will be operational in 2015. It will replace Aker Solutions' current subsea manufacturing facility in Curitiba and double production capacity in the country.
Aker Solutions' Executive Chairman Øyvind Eriksen and Luis Araujo, president and country manager of the company's Brazilian operations, today took part in a ceremony laying the foundation stone at the new site.
Luis Carlos Setim, the mayor of São José dos Pinhais, attended together with other local government officials.
"Brazil is a very important market for Aker Solutions and this new plant will strengthen our subsea offering," says Araujo.
The new facility will have about 1,200 employees and generate work for an additional 5,000 people at suppliers. The plant will be built on a plot of land totaling 168,220 square metres.
Petrobras contract
Aker Solutions is expanding its manufacturing capacity after winning a contract in April to deliver subsea equipment to the Brazilian oil company Petrobras. The contract, worth NOK 4.6 billion (USD 800 million), is for 60 well-sets with vertical subsea trees, subsea control systems, tools and spares to be used at Petrobras' deepwater pre-salt field developments in Brazil.
"The forecasts for the Brazilian oil and gas industry are very promising and we are committed to developing our manufacturing capabilities and local content," says Araujo.