GRSE inks pact with the Government of West Bengal for construction of Next Generation Electric Ferry

 

Kolkata, 05 Jul 22: Taking a revolutionary step towards reducing the Carbon emission in the water transport sector, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd., a Mini Ratna Category 1 Defence PSU and a leading warship building company of India signed the contract with the Government of West Bengal for design and construction of Next Generation Electric Ferry. Cdr. Shantanu Bose, Director (Shipbuilding), GRSE and Shri. Anindya Sengupta, Special Secretary, Transport Department, Government of West Bengal signed the agreement in the presence of other senior officials of GRSE and the Govt of West Bengal.

This ‘Green’ vessel has the potential to replace the conventional diesel engine driven ferries operated in Hooghly River. The arrival of electric ferry shall transform the inland water transport system in National Waterway- 1(NW-1) which is being developed from Haldia to Varanasi under Ministry of Shipping.  

Under the green initiative and sustainable development of West Bengal, the zero-emission full electric ferry is powered by 210 Kilowatt per hour (kWh) liquid cooled Energy Storage Solution and Ergonomically designed to carry 150 passengers with provision of Air Conditioning sitting arrangements. The 24 Meters long Vessel will be built with twin Screw propellers, catamaran Aluminium hull along with a piercing hull form fitted with the solar panels above the superstructure. The operating speed of the vessel shall be 8 knots with a maximum speed of 10 Knots.

The ferry is fully designed by the in-house design team of GRSE and is indigenously developed in association with Industry experts in the domain. The hull is optimized for best performance using CFD analysis techniques and will be designed and built to comply with latest classification society rules related to passenger safety.

On the occasion, Cmde PR Hari, IN (Retd.) Chairman & Managing Director, GRSE said, “The project is expected to revolutionize the water transport system in this region and support the country’s efforts to reduce its emission and Carbon footprints, changing the lives of the people in the city. The initiative also demonstrates the GRSE’s capabilities in manufacturing electric mobility solutions under Make-in-India initiative. We are keen to emulate our success in this green venture in other states with potential for waterways”.

As part of Go-green initiative, GRSE has already been promoting the use of electrical vehicles as the company adopted the environment friendly e-vehicles to create awareness of e-mobility and provide a thrust to ‘Atmanirbharta’ by boosting the confidence of indigenous Electric Vehicle manufacturers. The Shipyard is currently executing four indigenous shipbuilding projects including three Advanced Frigates under Project 17A, four Survey Vessels (Large) & eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts for the Indian Navy and one Fast Patrol Vessel for the Indian Coast Guard. With emphasis on export domain, the shipyard is building ships for Cooperative Republic of Guyana and Government of Bangladesh, in line with the GoI theme of “Make in India-for the world”.

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. The Company was taken over by the Government of India in 1960.First shipyard of independent India to build a Seaward Defence Boat (SDB) INS Ajay for Indian Navy in 1961, GRSE also built the first ever Indian Export Warship “CGS Barracuda”. The shipyard was conferred the status of a Miniratna Category I Company in 2006. Over last 61 years, GRSE has built 788 platforms including 107 warships for Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, and Government of Mauritius & Seychelles Coast Guard - 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 ship building, 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 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 embarked on a modernization drive over last decade resulting in the capacity for concurrent construction of 20 ships at a time. Team of highly skilled design engineers and state of art VR Lab & latest softwares cater to 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.