SCI orders 28 ships, to acquire 8 this yr

To meet the needs of the growing economy, the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) has embarked on an ambitious fleet expansion plan and ordered 28 new vessels, eight of which would be delivered in 2010, the government said today.

“SCI has embarked on an ambitious acquisition plan. At present, 28 new vessels are on order, of which 8 are expected to be delivered this year,” Shipping Minister G K Vasan said at the Golden Jubilee Function of SCI. He said SCI had planned acquisition of 50 vessels of 2.1 million gigatonne (GT) by 2015, and another 40 vessels by 2020. Earlier addressing the function, President Pratibha Patil asked SCI to expand its fleet in a time-bound manner and focus on latest technologies.

“The shipping industry should continuously expand, modernise and become competitive. SCI has plans to expand its fleet to meet the requirement of the growing trade of the country. I would urge that this be done in a time-bound manner and with emphasis on the latest technologies,” Patil said. She also asked shipping industry to focus on specialised handling, as transportation of different commodities and cargoes require different forms of ships and handling equipment.

Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said SCI would have to upgrade technology, acquire the latest vessels, including very large crude carriers, floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, besides updating business processes, so that it could offer the best terms to its customers.

Pointing out that SCI is the only shipping company in India to venture into the highly specialised LNG transportation, the President expressed hope that the public sector company would have a leading role in transporting various forms of energy. Deora said SCI had to play more important role, as the country’s refining capacity has increased manifold.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee expressed hope that SCI, which is a Navratna company, would get Maharatna status one day. Patil also asked the shipping industry to increase its focus on security. “In this global climate, the challenge for the maritime community is to ensure security. Hence, there should be greater vigilance towards security of personnel and cargo,” she said.

In the backdrop of two merchant ships colliding at the mouth of the Mumbai harbour, Patil asked the shipping industry to pay greater attention to improved safety standards to prevent accidents and the devastating effect on the ecology.