Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd has signed a contract with National Centre for Polar & Ocean Research (NCPOR), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, for the construction and delivery of an Ocean Research Vessel (ORV). The contract was signed in Goa by Cdr Shantanu Bose, IN (Retd), Director (Shipbuilding), GRSE, and M M Subramaniam, Scientist I/C, Vessel Operation and Management, NCPOR, in the presence of Dr Thamban Meloth, Director, NCPOR and senior officials from GRSE & NCPOR.
GRSE has necessary expertise in the field of survey vessels and has been building them for the Indian Navy for nearly four decades now. Even now, the Marine Acoustic Research Vessel INS Sagardhwani that was built by GRSE in 1994 is being refitted at the shipyard. On December 4, 2023, GRSE delivered the INS Sandhayak – the largest survey vessel to be built in India – to the Navy. Three more vessels of this class are at various stages of completion at the shipyard at the moment. This experience will stand GRSE good when designing and building the ORV for NCPOR.
The overall length of the ORV will be 89.50-metres and it will be 18.80-metres wide. Its depth will be 12.50-metres. The ship will have a gross tonnage of 5,900 Tons and its speed will be 14 knots at 90% maximum continuous rating (MCR). The research vessel will be able to operate at a maximum depth of 6,000-metres.
The vessel, once it is delivered, will be capable of Underway Swath Multibeam as well as Geophysical Seismic surveys in coastal seas and deep waters. She will also be able to carry out Conductivity, Temperature and Depth (CTD) profiling and water sampling operations such as biological sampling using vertical and horizontal methods through various nets.
The ORV will also effectively carry out surface and deep-sea mooring and data buoy operations, seabed sampling using corers and grabs as well as rock dredging with chain bag dredges. She will also undertake underway atmospheric observations, surface meteorological and current measurements and collect upper air data. She will also be able to deploy and retrieve heavy test/protocol-type equipment and submersibles such as AUVs and ROVs. Scientists will be able to carry out analytical work and data processing on board. The ship will also provide training and education to scientists and technicians.
GRSE is fast turning into a destination for those in search of specialized vessels. Recently, the Government of Bangladesh signed an agreement with the shipyard for an advanced tug for the Bangladesh Navy. GRSE is also building a dredger for the Government of Bangladesh and at least four multi-purpose cargo vessels for a German company, apart from 18 warships for the Indian Navy.
About GRSE:
The journey of Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd., a premier Warship building Company in India, under the administrative control of Ministry of Defence, a PCMM Level-2 Certified Company, dates back to 1884 when it started its journey as a small workshop to repair vessels of River Steam Navigation Company. The Company was taken over by the Government of India in 1960. GRSE has the distinction of becoming the first shipyard of independent India to build a warship for Indian Navy, the Seaward Defence Boat (SDB) INS Ajay, way back in 1961. GRSE also built the first ever Indian Export Warship “CGS Barracuda” for Govt. of Mauritius, a Fast Patrol Vessel “SCG PS Zoroaster” for Seychelles and an Ocean-Going Cargo & Passenger Ferry Vessel “MV Ma Lisha” for Cooperative Republic of Guyana. The shipyard was conferred the status of a Miniratna Category I Company in 2006. GRSE has built over 790 platforms including 109 warships for Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, and friendly foreign countries – highest warships built & delivered by any Indian shipyard till date. From Frigates, Corvettes, Fleet Tankers, Landing Ship Tank, Landing Craft Utility to Survey Vessels, Offshore Patrol Vessels and Fast Attack Craft – the repertoire is rich and varied. In addition to shipbuilding & ship repair, GRSE is also engaged in engine production and other engineering activities. The engineering division manufactures deck machinery items, pre-fabricated portable steel bridges and marine pumps. Noteworthy accolades include Raksha Mantri Award 2022 in Designing the most silent ship for Indian Navy for ASW operation, Defence Minister’s Award for Excellence for In-house Design Effort for Offshore Patrol Vessel for Government of Mauritius, CGS Barracuda, Best Performing Defence Shipyard of India for Four Years in a row. GRSE embraced infrastructure modernization over past decades and can undertake concurrent construction of 20 ships at a time. Team of highly skilled design engineers and state of art VR Lab & latest software aid in the in-house design capabilities. With proven credentials, the shipyard is on a growth path, reaffirming its motto “In Pursuit of Excellence and Quality in Shipbuilding.
