Udupi-Cochin Shipyard Limited (UCSL), a subsidiary of Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), launched the first of six 3,800-deadweight ton (DWT) general cargo vessels being constructed for Norway-based shipping company Wilson ASA.
The vessel, measuring 89.43 meters in length and 13.2 meters in breadth with a draft of 4.2 meters, is designed by Conoship International of the Netherlands. It features a diesel-electric propulsion system and is intended for general cargo transport in European coastal waters.
The launch event was attended by Martine Aamdal Bottheim, Minister Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission at the Royal Norwegian Embassy; Einar Tornes, Chief Financial Officer of Wilson ASA; Madhu S. Nair, Chairman and Managing Director of Cochin Shipyard Limited; Bejoy Bhaskar, Director (Technical) at Cochin Shipyard; Harikumar A., Chief Executive Officer of UCSL; and other senior officials from the shipyard.
Wilson ASA operates a fleet of approximately 130 vessels, transporting 15 million tonnes of dry cargo annually across Europe. The company has also placed follow-on orders with UCSL for eight additional 6,300 DWT dry cargo vessels, to be delivered in two batches in mid- and late 2024.
Since being acquired by CSL in 2020, UCSL has expanded its operations and completed several projects, including delivering two 62-ton bollard pull tugs for Ocean Sparkle Limited and two 70-ton bollard pull tugs for Polestar Maritime Limited. UCSL has also secured repeat orders for four additional tugs from these clients.
UCSL currently has an order book exceeding ₹1,500 crore. According to the company, the shipyard has been turned into a profit-making entity within three years of its acquisition.