Plate cutting ceremony for 2 vessels to be built for Norway’s ASKO Maritime at Cochin Shipyard

The autonomous electrical vessels being built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd is an ambitious project for Norway partially funded by the Norwegian government and aimed at emission-free transport of goods across the Oslo fjord
Plate cutting ceremony for 2 vessels to be built for Norway’s ASKO Maritime at Cochin Shipyard
  • Cochin Shipyard Ltd is building two autonomous electric vessels for ASKO Maritime AS, Norway

  • Plate cutting ceremony for both the vessels held on Friday at Cochin Shipyard Limited, Kochi

  • The plate cutting ceremony is one of the initial milestones in the vessel construction process

New Delhi/Cochin: The plate cutting ceremony of the two autonomous electric vessels held on Friday at Cochin Shipyard Limited, Kochi. Both the vessels are being built for ASKO Maritime AS, Norway. Torbjorn Johannson the Chairman of the board for ASKO & ASKO MARITIME, Norway cut the first steel plate for ship no. BY 146 through video conference and CSL's Director (Operations) Suresh Babu NV cut the first steel plate for the ship no. BY 147.

The plate cutting ceremony is one of the initial milestones in the vessel construction process.

CSL's Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) Madhu S Nair delivered the welcome speech. Johannson and Kai Just Oslen (Managing Director, ASKO Maritime) Norway addressed the gathering via video conferencing. On the occasion, senior officials of CSL were also present.

CSL had signed contracts for the construction and supply of two autonomous electric ferries for ASKO Maritime AS, Norway with an option to build two more identical vessels on July 15 this year. This autonomous electrical vessel project is an ambitious project in Norway partially funded by the Norwegian government aimed at emission-free transport of goods across the Oslo fjords. Massterly AS will be managing these vessels. Massterly AS is a company that has been set up to handle technical management and operate autonomous vessels. It's a joint venture between Kongsberg, the world leader in autonomous technology and Wilhelmsen, one of the largest maritime shipping companies.

Once in operation, these vessels will create a new benchmark for the merchant shipping world in the field of autonomous vessels with zero carbon emission. The 67 meter long vessels will initially be delivered as a full-electric transport ferry, powered by 1,846 kWh capacity battery. After commissioning of autonomous equipment and field trials in Norway, it will operate as a fully autonomous ferry of ASKO that can transport 16 fully loaded standard EU trailers in one go across the fjords. The vessels are designed by Naval Dynamics, Norway using Kongsberg Maritime systems, with detailed engineering to be carried out by CSL.

They will be built under DNV GL classification and flagged in Norway, under the rule regulations of the Norwegian Maritime Authority. CSL won this export order after a detailed evaluation of various global shipyards and based on its value proposition to the customer. CSL's proven capability and track record to deliver world quality high-end vessels to clients in Western Europe also found favour with the client. CSL holds this contract, obtained within the current constraints posed by the pandemic, in high significance.

This project is expected to catapult CSL into the league of premier shipbuilding yards in the world capable of handling high tech vessel construction offering sustainable solutions.

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