Hindustan Shipyard Limited, which made a turnaround by earning a net profit of Rs.19 crore in 2015-16 after a long gap, is all set achieve a record of sorts by delivering six new vessels in a single calendar year.
“One 25-tonne bollard pull tug, built for Indian Navy, is ready for delivery. Two 50-tonne bollard pull tugs will be delivered to Kandla Port Trust by this month-end. With these, HSL will be completing delivery of six vessels in a single calendar year. This will be a record achievement in the Indian shipbuilding industry,” say HSL officials.
In addition to this, the ship repairs division of HSL delivered eight ships during the current calendar year. With the current enviable production rate, the shipyard is expected to lead the Indian shipbuilding industry in a short span.
The fourth of the five IPVs being built for the Indian Coast Guard, Rani Gaidinliu, built by HSL, was commissioned by Director-General of Coast Guards Rajendra Singh on October 19 at the Coast Guard Jetty.
IPV is a high-speed vessel built of light steel and fitted with water jet propulsion system. These vessels are powered by powerful engines with advanced machinery control system with a speed reaching 34 knots. For Coast Guard, these are considered workhorses. These vessels meet International Maritime Organisation (IMO) standards and are built to dual class certification by Indian Register of Shipping and American Bureau of Shipping.
In advanced stage
The last IPV of the series, ICGS Rani Rashmoni is in an advanced stage of construction and will be delivered by May 2017. HSL Chairman and Managing Director Rear Admiral (retired) L.V. Sarat Babu has expressed deep gratitude to the Coast Guard authorities for their whole-hearted cooperation during the construction of the vessel and sought support for future projects.
Efforts are being put in with innovative methods to improve productivity, quality and to expedite the procurement processes in the shipyard since last nine months. As a result, they are in a position to deliver six vessels in a single year, he says.
