It was a huge boost for the export initiatives of Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd, a Government of India Undertaking (GRSE), when the Harbour Department, Ministry of Public Works, Government of Guyana, signed the contract with the shipyard last week, to build an Ocean-Going Vesselat a cost of $12.7 million. The 1,700 tons vessel is to be used on the Coastal and Riverine Areas of Guyana, and shall be equipped with two Caterpillar Marine Diesel Engines coupled with Twin Disc Reduction Gear Boxes to achieve 15 knots speed.
GRSE has been a pioneer warship builder of the nation having delivered the highest number of warships till date, since its inception as a DPSU in 1960. The 106 warships built by GRSE so far range from Advanced Frigates to Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvettes to Fleet Tankers, Fast Attack Crafts etc. with the Shipyard having many firsts to its credit including the unique achievement of having exported the first warship by an Indian Shipyard, CGS Barracuda to Mauritius.
GRSE has the capability to construct 20 ships concurrently, spread across its three production locations and having modernized its infrastructure with Modular Integrated Facility. This Project shall further consolidate GRSE’s position as a unique shipyard with all round capability to design and build warships and vessels for export with State-of-the-Art Technology. GRSE in the recent past has delivered 14 Warships in 42 months which clocks an average of a delivery every three months, a no mean feat.
The export initiative of the shipyard have gained momentum with the award of this order and it is expected that the coming years will see a marked rise in its export order-book.