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Monday, 2 March 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
A model of the passenger vessel being handed over to owners by President Maithripala Sirisena. Board of Investment Chairman Upul Jayasuriya, Japanese Ambassador Nobuhito Hobo, Colombo Dockyard Managing Director Ranil Wijegunawardena, Vice Chairman Sarath De Costa, Chairman Dr. T. Takehara, Captain of MV Lagoons, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh - Director (Ports, Shipping & Aviation) and Lakshadweep Corporation Managing Director Prince Lye - Head of Marketing, NB are also present
MV Lagoons, the second 400 passenger cum 250 ton cargo vessel, was ceremonially handed over by Colombo Dockyard PLC to Union Territories of Lakshadweep Administration on 26 February at the Shipyard premises with the participation of President Maithripala Sirisena.
This historic occasion was graced by many dignitaries including Ambassador Nobuhito Hobo from the Embassy of Japan, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Aviation Secretary L.P. Jayampathy, Board of Investment of Sri Lanka Chairman Upul Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka Navy Commander Vice Admiral Jayantha Perera, Sri Lanka Ports Authority Chairman Dr. Lakdas Panagoda, Western Naval Area Commander Rear Admiral N.K.D. Nanayakkara, Merchant Shipping Director General Ajith Senevirathne, Harbour Master Capt. Ravi Jayawickrama, Customs Additional Director General Thilak Perera and a host of other Sri Lankan Government Ministry/Department officials and top corporate officials of the private sector.
Chairman Dr. Toru Takehara, Vice Chairman Sarath De Costa, Managing Director/CEO Ranil Wijegunawardena and the senior management and all staff of Colombo Dockyard were present at the ceremony.
Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Director (Ports, Shipping and Aviation) of Union Territories of Lakshadweep Administration/Managing Director of Lakshadweep Development Corporation, took delivery of the vessel on behalf of Union Territories of Lakshadweep Administration of the Government of India.
Capt. P.K. Chacko, the Ship’s Captain, and Dr. M. Sivaguru, Second Secretary (E&C) of the High Commission of India, were present to witness the acceptance of the vessel. At the ceremony the President also symbolically handed over a ship model to Singh and Chacko.
The President commended the technological advancement Colombo Dockyard has achieved and congratulated the entire management and staff for the excellent work and the commitment and dedication in delivering such a magnificent vessel and being the driving force of Sri Lankan industrialisation. The President also stressed that companies such as Colombo Dockyard were an asset to the nation and should be encouraged and supported by all concerned, and wished the company strength and good luck in its future endeavours.
After addressing the gathering the President went on board the vessel to inspect the facilities and was impressed by its sophistication and the level of comfort provided for the passengers and the vessels crew. After disembarking the President mingled with the thousands of staff that had gathered to greet him and left the shipyard after a highly-memorable visit.
MV Corals, an identical sister ship to MV Lagoons, was previously delivered in October 2014. The price of each of these vessels is $ 29,260,000 and the total contract generated a revenue of $ 58,520,000 to the Sri Lankan economy.
This vessel has been designed for the carriage of passengers and general cargo between the mainland and Lakshadweep islands and interisland routes. Once this vessel gets into operation, it will ease the congestion and will provide uninterrupted service for passengers and freight from Cochin to Lakshadweep islands for a journey which generally takes around 20 hours.
Principal particulars of the vessel – Length overall: 99.00 m; breadth mld: 17.00 m; depth: 9.20 m; design draft: 4.20 m; First Class: 10 passengers; Second Class: 40 passengers; Bunk Class: 350 passengers; Crew: 69 persons; speed: 15 knots; fuel oil: 400 T; fresh water: 350 T; dry cargo: 225 T; endurance: 10 days @15 knots; main engines: 2 x YANMAR each engine developing 1,920 kW; propulsion: 2 x BERG controllable pitch propellers; classification: Lloyds Register/Indian Register.
The vessel is designed by world renowned ship design company, Global Maritime Brevik AS of Norway (formerly known as GL Noble Denton/Brevik Engineering) and the detailed design engineering is performed by Neilsoft Ltd of India. This cooperation enabled the convergence of specialists in their respective fields to achieve the best design solutions and Colombo Dockyard performed the arduous task of product realisation.
The fact that the Indian Government placed its utmost confidence in Colombo Dockyard to build these passenger vessels immediately after the delivery of the two numbers 250 passenger cum 100 ton cargo vessels (MV Arabian Sea and MV Lakshadweep Sea), is a clear testimony of the maturity and the status that Colombo Dockyard, has achieved in the field of Shipbuilding in the region and will further strengthen the long and cordial relationship, the two countries have enjoyed over the past years.
Apart from passenger shipbuilding, Colombo Dockyard specialises in the construction of offshore support vessels such as anchor handling tug supply vessels, multipurpose platform supply vessels, platform/ROV support vessels and crew boats for companies engaged in providing offshore oil field services, in the oil and gas exploration and production domain.
Since 2007, it has been able to generate over $ 700 million in shipbuilding activities alone, contracting 29 vessels for international clientele. With its technical expertise in the construction of steel and aluminium hull vessels, complemented by a highly-skilled and knowledgeable engineers and technicians (more than 3,000 Sri Lankans are working at the Shipyard), it is capable of offering Japanese quality products and services at highly-competitive prices.
It is also known for its capability to fully customise vessels for client’s requirement and making continuous improvement to the design and performance characteristics, adding value at each and every stage of construction.
