Colombo Dockyard set to win AHTS order

Sri Lankan shipbuilder Colombo Dockyard has emerged the lowest bidder among 13 contenders, including several Indian firms, to build five anchor handling tug-cum-supply vessels (AHTSVs) for state-run Shipping Corporation of India (SCI). The cost of building the five vessels, with a 70 tonne bollard pull, will likely be around $100 million. The AHTSVs will also be equipped with Dynamic Positioning 1 (DP1).

Japanese shipbuilder Onomichi Dockyard Ltd holds a 51% stake in Colombo Dockyard. “Colombo Dockyard Ltd has quoted the lowest price for building the AHTSVs. The SCI board will approve the bid at its next meeting,” said a company official. Indian builders including ABG Shipyard, Bharati Shipyard and state-run Cochin Shipyard participated in the tender along with global yards such as Norway?s Havyard Leirvik.

The new offshore vessels will replace older vessels on SCI?s fleet. Currently, the company has 10 AHTS vessels which are 22 years old and will have to be decommissioned in about eight years. Colombo Dockyard recently won a $ 36.6 million order to build two passenger vessels for the Indian government (the vessels will be used on the Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands route). It is also building two 80 tonne bollard pull AHTSVs for Greatship (India) Ltd, the wholly-owned offshore subsidiary of India?s largest private shipping company Great Eastern Shipping Company Ltd.