April 8 - Meriaura Group's ship Aura is being returned to the company after being converted back into a multipurpose open-deck heavy cargo carrier from a cable laying vessel.
Aura was delivered to Meriaura in 2008 as a deck cargo carrier, designed to transport heavy project cargoes, in particular steel sections for the shipbuilding industry.
In 2012, Aura was converted into a cable laying vessel and chartered out to Norddeutsche Seekabelwerke on a long-term contract. Meriaura then took delivery of the multipurpose vessel, Meri, which took on some of Aura's previous activities.
Aura's cable laying contract ended in February of this year, after which the Finnish shipping company decided to convert the vessel back to its original shape.
The ship is currently dry-docked in Munkebo Denmark, with its conversion scheduled for completion by the end of April. Once converted, Aura will maintain its dynamic positioning capabilities, said Meriaura.
Meanwhile, explained Meriaura, the company's two 4,700 dwt VG EcoCoaster dry cargo carriers - Eeva VG and Mirva VG - are currently under construction at Partner Stoznian shipyard in Szczecin, Poland.
Both vessels have been launched and once steel work, painting and outfitting is completed, the ships will be towed to Royal Bodewes dockyard in Papenburg Germany, before being delivered to Meriaura from the end of summer to autumn of this year.
