RIL to pump $2 bn into shipbuilding and dredging

The Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Group in Mumbai, India, is set to make a splash in shipbuilding and dredging with two separate companies. Sources said the petroleum-to-retail giant is expected to invest around $1 billion each in two companies and has begun talks with international majors for a strategic tie-up for the dredging business…

The shipyard will be constructed at Rewas, where Reliance is setting up a mega port and a special economic zone (SEZ). The company is also looking at a ship repair yard at Kakinada for servicing offshore/platform vessels and rigs. This facility is expected to be the hub for all its offshore activities in the KG basin, where Reliance Industries (RIL) has struck oil and gas in abundance.

The group will spend around $1 billion to build dredgers at its own shipyard and other yards. Plans are also afoot to set up a mega dredging company, which will compete with international giants such as Van Oord and Dredging International. Sources said Reliance wants to cash in on the two booming sectors of shipbuilding and dredging.

As a majority of existing foreign shipyards are full with orders, shipbuilding prices are expected to remain firm for another couple of years. On the dredging side, almost all Indian ports are trying to deepen their berths and approach channels in order to accommodate larger ships. This has increased the demand for dredgers, pushing up charter rates to new highs, while the supply remains sluggish.

Reliance wanted to start building dredgers at the yard initially, and later expand the capacity to build other ocean-going vessels. Talks are currently underway and a decision is likely a month or two according to a senior RIL official. He said the Kakinada facility will be owned by Reliance Logistics while the shipyard project will be owned by Reliance Logistics Investment and Jai Corp, a company belonging to Anand Jain.