UNVEILING THE COUNTRY’S MARITIME

STRENGTH

In the bid to boost country’s maritime strength ,Prime Minister Narendra Modi
inaugurated projects worth ₹4,000 crore in Kochi, Kerala on 17th January 2024,
in a function held at ISRF. These projects included 310-metre-long New Dry
Dock (NDD) at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), International Ship Repair
Facility (ISRF) of CSL and LPG Import Terminal of Indian Oil Corporation
Limited at Puthuvypeen. Governor of Kerala, Chief Minister of Kerala, Union
Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and other high-level dignitaries
witnessed the occasion. The combined investment for these state-of-the-art
facilities amounts Cochin Shipyard's largest investment in capacity expansion to
date.

Speaking at the event, PM Modi said, “Today, when India is becoming a major center of global trade, we
are focusing on increasing the country's maritime strength".

‘With these projects, we are creating high grade infrastructure for the country’, said Mr. Madhu Nair,
Chairman and Managing Director, CSL

Three projects and their importance for India

The Rs. 970 crore International Ship Repair Facility, located at Willingdon Island in the
adjacent Cochin Port, is set to enhance India's ship repair capacity significantly and establish
the region as a prominent repair hub. The facility's proximity to the international sea route
connecting Southeast Asia to the Middle East positions Kochi as a global destination for ship
repairs. This world-class facility is on par with those in Dubai Maritime Centre, Singapore,
and China.

The Indian Oil’s LPG Import Terminal at Puthuvypeen in Kochi is built at the cost of
about ₹1,236 crore. With a 15400 MT storage capacity, the terminal will ensure a steady
supply of LPG for millions of households and businesses in the region. The new LPG Import
Terminal will meet the LPG needs of Kochi, Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Calicut, Madurai, and
Trichy while also supporting industries, other economic development activities and creation
of new jobs in these areas.

The proposal for world first stepped drydock has been approved by Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 20th July, 2016. Meanwhile, Proposed International Ship Repair
Facility was awarded to CSL on nomination basis by Cochin Port Trust (CoPT). The contract
was signed with CoPT on 24th December 2012 and Lease deed on 12thApril, 2013. CSL had
taken over 8.12 ha of land & 15 ha of water area for a lease period of 30 years along with
231 employees of CoPT.
WHY NEED FOR A NEW DOCK
The dry dock's strategic importance extends to eliminating dependency on foreign nations during
emergency national requirements, with a design life of 100 years. According to the CSL, the existing two
dry docks cannot handle repair or building activities of large vessels namely jack up rigs, aircraft carriers,
LNG carriers and semisubmersibles, hence, to tap the market potential of building specialized and
technologically advanced large vessels it is proposed to build a new dry dock, to undertake such activities
within the existing premises of the Shipyard.

FEATURES
310 metres long dry dock has a width of 75/60 metres, depth of 13 metres and the drydock has a draught of
up to 9.5m and will be equipped with a gantry crane of 600-tonne capacity with span of 134m and
maximum height of 81m. ‘Stepped’ layout to accommodate large and wide vessels .Two jib cranes of 75-
tonne and 40-tonne capacity are provided on both sides of the dock. The dock floor is 2.5m thick at the
central keel portion and 1.5m thick at all other areas. A sub-floor drainage system is provided on the
underside of the floor to reduce the water pressure by continuously draining away any water. The dock
floor is designed to take a load of 600 tons every meter, helping it construct even larger aircraft carriers of
70,000-ton displacement.

The International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF) equipped with ship lift & transfer system with six
workstations. The ship lift system will enable to undertake repairs of vessels having size of 130 x 25 m
with maximum light weight of 6000 T. It has 6 work Stations, dedicated shops & Maritime Park. The site
comprises 42 acres of land with 850 m water frontage. It has a total outfitting berth of 1500m approx. The
facility will become fully operational by mid-2024. A dry dock having size of 66 x 12.5 x 4 m is also
available at the site

Larsen & Toubro Ltd, India's leading engineering and construction firm, played a crucial role in
constructing the dry dock, while the 600-ton gantry crane was sourced from South Korea's Hyundai Samho
Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. The facility's consultant was Dutch firm Haskoning DHV Consulting Pvt. Ltd

The new dry dock is set to commence operations in May/June, starting with the construction of a 'DCI
Dredge Brahmaputra,' a trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) with a hopper capacity of 12,000 cubic
meters. This marks the first 'Beagle 12' TSHD of its kind, designed by IHC Holland B.V., the world's
largest dredger builder.

The new dry dock facility is a significant milestone that highlights the shipyard's commitment to
excellence, innovation, and sustainable growth. It is poised to play a key role in the global maritime
industry, further cementing India's position as a major player in the sector. As the facility begins its
operations, it is expected to bring about a positive impact on the region's economy and further strengthen
Cochin Shipyard's reputation as a world-class shipbuilding and repair facility.

Athul Krishnan C R
S6 A