India’s Cochin Shipyard Delivers 7,000 DWT Ice-Class Vessel ‘MS Maria’ To German Firm

India’s state-run Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) delivered the MS Maria, the second in an eight-vessel HS EcoFreighter series of Multi-Purpose Vessels, which were ordered by German shipping company HS Schiffahrts UG (haftungsbeschränkt) & Co KG.

The formal Delivery and Acceptance Protocol was executed in Kochi between S Harikrishnan, Director of Operations at CSL, and Heinz Josef Schepers, Director of HS Schiffahrts.

The 7000 DWT vessel was engineered by Netherlands-based Groot Ship Design and constructed under the classification standards of DNV.

The vessel is specially designed for commercial trade and incorporates a raked stem with the trademark ‘Groot Crossbow’, bow design along a transom stern.

It has a hydrodynamic profile to decrease wave resistance, increase speed and performance and lower consumption of fuel.

The ship can navigate ice-prone waters and can transport project cargo, heavy machines, steel coils, dry bulk, timber, paper, grain, coal and also dangerous cargoes.

This versatility to accommodate a diverse range of cargo comes from its adaptable cargo hold, which has 6 movable panels, enabling customisations for specific cargoes. It also has grain bulkheads at several places and a tween deck arrangement.

The handover of MS Maria shows Cochin Shipyard’s expanding footprint in the international market, and demonstrates the Indian shipbuilder’s growing capabilities to construct eco-friendly vessels.

Cochin Shipyard operates under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and is currently working on the 6 remianing EcoFreighter vessels of the series.