March 19 (Reuters) - Thyssenkrupp on Tuesday

said it has entered a due diligence phase on the potential

partial sale of its marine unit with investment firm Carlyle

.

"With the active involvement of Carlyle, we are now taking

the necessary next step and starting the phase of an open-ended

assessment of the relevant business activities," Thyssenkrupp's

Executive Board member Volkmar Dinstuhl said in a statement.

The sale to Carlyle is one of the several options that

the firm is currently considering, he added.

At the same time, talks are being held with the German

government on the state's participation in Thyssenkrupp's marine

business, the industrial conglomerate said.

Shares in Thyssenkrupp were up 2% in the early Frankfurt

trade.