Did GRSE Secure a Contract with GSI for Two Coastal Research Vessels?

Kolkata, June 11 (NationPress) Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd has officially entered into a contract for the development of two Coastal Research Vessels (CRVs) for the Geological Survey of India (GSI) on Wednesday.

The formal agreement was executed by Shantanu Bose, Director (Shipbuilding) at GRSE, and Dr. N M Shareef, Deputy Director General and Head of the Marine and Coastal Survey Division at GSI, with Asit Saha, Director General of GSI, and other senior officials from both organizations present.

This contract underscores GRSE’s proficiency in developing research platforms. The shipyard is also engaged in constructing an Ocean Research Vessel (ORV) for the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), part of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, and an Acoustic Research Ship (ARS) for the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The dimensions of each CRV will measure 64 meters in length and 12 meters in width, with a deadweight tonnage of approximately 450 tons. These vessels are expected to have an operational endurance of 15 days and can reach a maximum speed of 10 knots, accommodating up to 35 crew members.

These specialized vessels will be equipped to perform offshore geological mapping, mineral exploration, ocean environmental monitoring, and research. Additionally, they will feature state-of-the-art scientific laboratories for data processing and sample analysis.

Each vessel will be outfitted with Dynamic Positioning – 1, allowing them to maintain their position even in Sea State 3. The ships will utilize diesel-electric propulsion, powered by diesel generators for the thrusters, and will operate within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), at depths ranging from 5 to 1,000 meters.

While GRSE is primarily known for warship construction, it also excels in building research vessels. Notably, it delivered the marine acoustic research ship INS Sagardhwani to NPOL in 1994 and has previously supplied six survey vessels to the Navy between 1981 and 1993. Recently, GRSE has delivered two Survey Vessels (Large) of the Sandhayak class to the Navy, with two more currently under construction, representing the largest and most advanced of their kind built in India.

Currently, GRSE is constructing 16 warships across four different classes for the Navy and has emerged as the lowest bidder for the Navy’s Next Generation Corvettes (NGC) programme, anticipating a contract to build five of these vessels.

Moreover, GRSE is also engaged in constructing eight multi-purpose cargo vessels for a German company.