HCSL begins construction of new yard

Moving ahead with revival plans for the city-based Hooghly Dock & Port Engineers Ltd, the Hooghly Cochin Shipyard Limited (HCSL) Saturday kicked-off the construction of a new yard at Nazirgunge dock.

"The ground-breaking ceremony of the construction of the new yard at HCSL was performed by Cochin Shipyard Ltd CMD Madhu S Nair at Nazirgunge dock in the presence of KoPT chairman, Vinit Kumar and deputy chairman of KoPT S Balaji Arunkumar," a statement said.

HCSL is a joint venture between Cochin Shipyard Ltd and Hooghly Dock & Port Engineers Limited with in a 74:26 ratio.

HCSL intends to set up a modern shipbuilding and ship repair facility at Nazirgunge and Salkia sites.

The project is expected to be completed in 24 months and the units will be fully operational by the first quarter of 2021.

CSL is a leader in shipbuilding and ship repair in India and KoPT had partnered with them to revive the closed shipyard.

With the revival of inland waterways on NW-I and NW-II, demand for cargo barges is expected to rise. Inland Waterways Authority of India themselves is in the process to order Rs 2,000 crore worth of cargo vessels and HSCL expects to get a sizeable pie of the same.