The Hindu : Business : CSL decision on heavy blocks fabrication shops next week

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 23, 2006

Business

Business

CSL decision on heavy blocks fabrication shops next week

Staff Reporter

Electronics, hydraulics ancillaries on the anvil

KOCHI: Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has received good response to its call for expression of interest for setting up shops for fabrication of heavy blocks.

A decision on awarding the contract for setting up these shops, the first of a series of ancillary units planned by the CSL, is expected next week, Shipyard source said.

Land for the heavy blocks making units has already been allotted within the shipyard premises, sources added. Setting up ancillary units is expected to result in greater production levels in the future. The shipyard is also planning to set up other ancillaries such as electronics, hydraulics and accommodation outfittings in the near future.

The ancillary units will form a mini industrial estate on a portion of its 170-acre premises offering a good opportunity for small and medium-sized industrial units that can help improve the shipyard's productivity.

The shipyard had, early last year, sought the help of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) to identify units that could set up fabrication shops as per the shipyard's requirement.

The three key areas identified by the shipyard were steel blocks, hydraulics, electronics and prefabricated accommodation modules.

Cochin Air Products, suppliers of industrial gas, had set up operations at the CSL early last year.

Meanwhile, the shipyard is expected to deliver `Bossclip Trader' to the Bahamas-based Clipper Group in March. The vessel is the first of the six for which the Clipper Group has placed orders with the CSL.

The orders were received in February 2004. The second ship is expected to be delivered in August this year and the keel for the third was laid in the first week of this month.

Besides these bulk carriers, the shipyard had recently delivered six fire-fighting tugs. It is now constructing three fire-fighting tugs for use by the Jeddah Port Authority, Saudi Arabia.

The shipyard has also received orders worth $75 million recently. This is besides the air defence ship, work on which is in progress now.

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