GRSE inks $62.44 mn deal with Carsten Rehder to build four hybrid vessels

Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Ltd on Saturday said it has signed a contract worth USD 62.44 million with a Hamburg-based company for the construction of four hybrid multi-purpose vessels.

The contract also includes a provision for an additional two hybrid propulsion vessels, a company statement said.

"The agreement builds on the ongoing 7,500 DWT (deadweight tonnage) multi-purpose vessel project being executed at GRSE's Kolkata yard for the German shipping company Carsten Rehder Schiffsmakler und Reederei GmbH & Co. KG," the GRSE said.

The deal was signed by Cdr Shantanu Bose, IN (Retd), Director (Shipbuilding), GRSE, and Thomas Rehder, Managing Director, Carsten Rehder Schiffsmakler und Reederei, in the presence of senior officials of both organisations.

The 120-metre-long and 17-metre-wide vessels will feature battery-assisted hybrid propulsion, improved fuel efficiency, and flexible cargo handling systems, aligning with International Maritime Organization (IMO) decarbonisation targets.

Designed to carry 7,500 tonnes of cargo in a single hold, the ships can accommodate bulk, general, and project cargoes. Containers can also be stowed on hatch covers, while a key feature will allow them to transport multiple large windmill blades on deck to serve the renewable energy logistics sector.

The multi-purpose vehicle programme had started with an initial four-vessel contract in June 2024, followed by additional orders in September and December 2024 and March 2025, taking the tally to eight.

On April 17 this year, GRSE commenced steel cutting for the CORAL 7500 DWT MPV series, its first major international export order in the commercial vessel segment.