Bulgaria's Bulyard Shipbuilding Industry (BSI) struck an 82.2 million U.S. dollars deal with Diler Shipping and Trading of Turkey in what is the most lucrative order of the Varna-based shipbuilder to date.

Officials from Industrial Holding Bulgaria, the 61.5 per cent owner of Bulyard and a former privatisation fund, were quoted by Dnevnik business daily on October 3 as saying the deal entails the commissioning of two ships, weighing 55 500 tonnes each. The first ship is scheduled for handover in December 2009, the second in September 2010.

The addition to Bulyard's order log comes a month after a deal with Bulgaria's Navigation Maritime Bulgare for the construction of three ships collectively valued at 55.6 million euros. The first, smaller, ship is scheduled to go out of the dock in 2009 and the other two by the end of 2011.

This year, Bulyard has been exclusively working for the NMB. Stara Planina ship came out of the dock in June this year and it entered the fleet of Bulgarian navy. The second vessel for the navy, Pirin, should be ready before the end of the month. The third vessel, to complete the NMB order, is scheduled to be completed in May next year.