Colombo Dockyard launches Buoy Tender Vessel built for Iraq through Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Japan

At the launching ceremony

The Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC) on Wednesday auspiciously launched its Yard Number NC 0244, a 60 m Buoy Tender Vessel being built for General Company for Ports of Iraq (GCPI) as per an Agreement signed with Toyota Tsusho Corporation (TTC) of Japan funded under Japanese ODA Loans by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). 

The ceremonial launching is the process of floating or transferring the vessel to water for the first time. Symbolically this is done by breaking a ‘pot of milk’ according to Sri Lankan traditions over the ship’s bow area inviting good luck to the vessel, the crew and the owners and subsequently filling the dock with sea water enabling the vessel to float. 

The ceremony was graced by Hayder Khaldoon Mohammedsami Alahmed, Rayed Kareem Mashhoot Al-Saeedi, Site Engineers from GCPI, Ali Alakus Site Manager of Project from Nippon Koei Co. Ltd. and H.V.K. Sarath Kumara Peiris Deputy General Manager Nippon Koei Co. Ltd. Liaison Office. Hayder Khaldoon Mohammedsami Alahmed of GCPI performed the honour of cutting the rope to break the milk pot and launch the vessel.

Madhawa Fonseka, Manager-Colombo Office and Vishal Chowdary, in-charge of project and Roshan Sanjeewa Colombo Office Surveyor attended this event representing the Classification Society ClassNK. 

From CDPLC, Hideaki Tanaka (Chairman), D.V. Abeysinghe (MD/CEO), K. Kanaya (Director), Y. Saki (Technical Advisor/Alt Director) and a host of other senior management and staff participated at this momentous occasion.

The Buoy Tender Vessel is designed to be operated to retrieve and launch marine navigation buoys, to provide repair and maintenance to marine navigation buoy, to transport marine navigation buoys and/or spare parts and to transport general cargo. This is a 60m long vessel with a breadth of 12m and a depth of 4.6m. The vessel is driven by twin diesel engines and is capable of achieving a speed of 12 knots. The vessel also shall be equipped with a Crane with a lifting capacity of 22 tons. This vessel also provides fully air conditioned comfortable living quarters for its complement of 28 persons.

In addition to this BTV, CDPLC is constructing another vessel for GCPI which is a 50m Pilot Station Vessel (PSV). The PSV is a twin hull Catamaran type vessel which will be used to transport of pilots and provisions, to provide pilots with accommodation services and to provide station and necessary support for pilot boats.

These projects which are vital to the socio economic development of Iraq will strengthen the relationship with Republic of Iraq, one of Sri Lanka’s close allies for decades and we are confident that with these shipbuilding projects generating from TTC Japan which are funded by JICA, will dawn in a new era in the bilateral economic sphere of the relationship between Sri Lanka and Japan.

This ceremony was organised and conducted in a modest scale and in a simple manner paying special attention to the Government’s Health and Safety guidelines placed in view of the COVID-19 outbreak, depicting CDPLC’s corporate social responsibility towards the prevention of any possible transmission of the COVID-19 at workplaces. CDPLC has demonstrated great resilience in the face of the pandemic and has taken many initiatives for ‘Revival’ of its operations and is planning to bounce back stronger in the future.

Colombo Dockyard PLC is a flag ship investment of Japan and operates in joint collaboration with Onomichi Dockyard Company Ltd. of Japan. Also the Sri Lankan Government institutions hold more than 35% stake at CDPLC. 

As the leader of the shipbuilding and repairing industry in Sri Lanka, CDPLC continuously proves its excellence by successfully securing shipbuilding projects and repairing vessels both local and overseas. 

“Colombo Dockyard PLC is Sri Lanka’s front runner of its industrialisation drive”.

Vessel after launching

Cutting the rope to launch the vessel