Sri Lanka Dockyard Won an Order for Offshore Supply Vessels

3rd September 2009, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Sri Lanka's Colombo Dockyard said it has won an order worth about seven billion rupees to build two tugs for a Singapore customer with an option for two more vessels of the same type.

The contract for the 130 tonne bollard pull Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessels was significant as it comes at a time shipping is in recession and many yards have closed or face cancelled orders, it said in a statement.

"This was the first contract (Colombo Dockyard) penned with this new client and (we) had to outbid stiff competition from several South East Asian shipbuilding yards in order to secure this contract."

Colombo Dockyard did not say who the new client was but it has previously built similar vessels for Greatship India and its Singapore subsidiary.

The contract will enable the yard ride out the difficult times experienced the world over because of recession, it said.

"The significance of this contract is that during recession times when other global yards record cancellation of confirmed orders, (some even having to close down their operations), Colombo Dockyard has been able to attract new customers."

The end of the 30-year ethnic war, after government forces defeated Tamil Tiger rebels in May, had "immensely helped" the yard to aggressively market its products, it said.

"This is the largest capacity vessel (bollard pull wise), that Colombo Dockyard has contracted in its 35-year history," the statement said.

These vessels are scheduled to be delivered by the end of June 2011 and the end of September 2011.

The vessel design has been developed by Moss Maritime AS of Norway, a ship designing company having expertise and experience in the field of designing vessels, platforms and floaters used by the offshore industry.

The vessels are designed to undertake supply duties for offshore units, anchor handling and towing of barges and other vessels.