Cochin Shipyard bags Rs 1,000-cr order from Cyprus firm for building off-shore wind farm vessels

Kochi: The Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has received a prestigious international export order from a European client for the construction of Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs) for offshore wind farms. The contract is valued at around Rs 1,000 crore, the CSL said in a statement.

The CSL signed the agreement with Cyprus-based Pelagic Partners for building six vessels on Tuesday. The vessels are expected to be delivered in Q1 2025, Pelagic Partners stated in a press release on its website. It is a first-of-its-kind order in the country, the statement said.

The CSL sees a huge potential for further orders in the sector as there is a large global focus on the development of offshore wind farms with attention turning towards sustainable and green energy solutions.

Offshore wind farm Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs) and Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) are part of an emerging, highly specialised niche vessel segment, the CSL statement said.
These vessels are designed and built for the commissioning, service, maintenance, and operational needs of the offshore wind industry.

CSOVs are equipped with 3D motion compensated gangway system (walk2work) and 3D crane which form the mission equipment and also a helideck. The vessels possess high-quality accommodation with DNV comfort ratings and an in-built Dynamic Positioning System and carry ‘Clean Design’ notation. The vessels are also provided with advanced green solutions aimed at emission reduction through alternate fuels.

CSL has been active in the international ship-building arena for more than two decades, having exported around 50 high-end vessels to countries such as USA, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and the Middle East. CSL’s rich experience and proven track record in the construction and export of a number of high-end offshore support vessels to West Europe, coupled with its recent construction & delivery of Zero Emission Autonomous Cargo Ferries to Norwegian client ASKO, positioned it as the yard of choice for the client. CSL had also recently bagged an order for eight Multi-Purpose Vessels for a German client.

The yard is active in defence shipbuilding, having recently delivered India’s First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier to the Indian Navy with more orders in hand for Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvettes and New Generation Missile Vessels.

The CSOV project is a breakthrough one for India, not only in the international shipbuilding arena but also as an emerging power on sustainable energy and is aligned with the “Make In India, Make For the World” vision of the central government.

With this order, CSL has positioned itself into the league of early movers in the high-end and niche global wind farm vessel construction segment.