RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil's Transpetro, a unit of state-run oil firm Petrobras, said on Monday that local shipbuilding firms Ecovix and Mac Laren had won a tender to build four new coastal vessels for $69.5 million per vessel.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The bid is the first step of Petrobras' plan to renew its fleet of support vessels, and is a win for Brazil's government as it seeks to revitalize the country's shipbuilding sector.

KEY QUOTE

"It is a milestone for our management to resume the acquisition of ships in Brazil after 10 years without contracting vessels to expand the fleet," said Transpetro Chief Executive Sergio Bacci in a statement.

CONTEXT

The four 'handy' class vessels will have capacity of 15,000 to 18,000 deadweight tonnage. They are part of the firm's plan to commission 25 new ships, with 16 already listed in Petrobras' strategic plan for the 2025-2029 period.

WHAT'S NEXT

Transpetro said it is set to launch a second tender in January for eight pressurized and semi-refrigerated gas tankers.