CDL to launch tug boat of Indian company

Hiran H. Senewiratne

SHIP BUILDING: Colombo Dockyards Limited’s (CDL) launch of the Anchor Handling Tug a boat, built for Great Ship (India), is scheduled to take place next week.

“This occasion will mark the first launching of the new construction hull to be carried out utilising the recently converted shipbuilding dock,” Assistant Manager Marketing Darshana Chandrasekera said.

CDL had invested much resources to modernise the previous repair dock No. 2 to a fully-fledged shipbuilding dock with increased tonnage and widening of the entrance to handle beamer ships, which is at the Colombo Port.

This is the first of the two Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessels (AHTSV) with a 80 Ton Bollard Pull capacity for Greatship (India) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of one of India’s largest private sector shipping companies, the Great Eastern Shipping Company, who are in the business of providing offshore oil field services catering to the oil and gas E&P domain. Greatship will give some more orders in the near future as well.

The keel laying to mark the commencement of work on the first AHTSV was held on October 23, 2006 and work on the second AHTSV commenced on December 21, 2006.

The first and the second AHTSV’s are scheduled for delivery in December 2007 and during first quarter of 2008 respectively.

The project team handling this project, comprising local engineers and workers from all levels have rallied as one team to turn out this engineering creation, to be launched next week.

Given the professional approach taken by CDL in handling this project, the owners have already confirmed a repeat order for two more identical AHTSVs both expected to be delivered during the year 2009.

Further, it undertook many orders from Middle Eastern countries especially from Saudi Arabia, Chandrasekera said.

CDL was formed in 1974 with the main objective of carrying out ship repair and shipbuilding activities in Sri Lanka.

In a span of 33 years the CDL has achieved a status of one of the most dynamic and comprehensive shipbuilding and ship repair facilities in the South Asia region.