Union Shipping Minister G. K. Vasan directed the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) to constitute a committee to carry out a feasibility study for setting up a ship building/repair facility at one of the three locations — Vizhinjam, Poovar or Azhikkal.
The Minister directed the shipyard authorities to see that the committee submitted its report by the end of November. These instructions were issued when the Minister visited the CSL on Friday, said a press release here.
The Minister was apprised of the company's expansion plans on his visit. He reviewed the company's present operations and future plans. The Minister was apprised of the performance of the CSL and the growth plans of the shipyard.
The shipyard also successfully carried out the bollard pull tests on the first anchor handling tugs being constructed for the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) by the yard. The tests were undertaken at the new facility set up at Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram.
This is the first time in India that such a high capacity tug is being tested for bollard pull, said the press release. The 500 T SWL Bollard Pull facility set up at Vizhinjam is the largest in Asia and was dedicated to the nation on September 23 K. Babu, Minister for Excise and Ports.
