CDL to launch Indian AHTS

Colombo Dockyards Limited?s (CDL) launch of the Anchor Handling Tug Supply vessel, 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.

The Colombo-based CDL had invested many 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. This is the first of the two AHTS vessels with a 80 tonne 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.

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