Chittagong, July 28, 2011: Western Marine Shipyard Ltd., one of the countries’s leading shipbuilding companies, is going to deliver four vessels to the German buyer Grona Shipping & Bangladesh Govt. tomorrow, and adding another milestone to the shipbuilding industry in Bangladesh. Western Marine Shipyard Chairman Mr. Saiful Islam announces this at a press conference held at a hotel Agrabad in the port city, Chittagong today (July 28, 2011).
Among the four vessels, Grona Shipping will receive two and another two will receive BIWTC and Chittagong Port Authority. The two vessels built for German shipping company are the third among six pairs of the well-known 5200 DWT Ice Class vessels EMSTIDE & EMSWAVE.
The other two vessels built for BIWTC and CPA will be operated by the Ministry of Shipping of Bangladesh Government. The one vessel is titled as ‘Bir Sreshtho Ruhul Amin’, the largest ever ro-ro ferry built for Bangladesh by a local shipbuilding company. It having the carrying capacity of 370 passengers with 27 trucks will ferry between Chorjanajat-Mawa and Madaripur route.
Another vessel is a pilot cum service vessel built for Chittagong Port Authority called “PV Rakkhi” that was designed to carry pilots and sailors from the shore to the outer anchorage.
Minister for Shipping Mr. Shajahan Khan MP is expected to attend the vessel delivery ceremony as the chief guest. The venue of the ceremony has been arranged in CPA Marine Workshop Ghat at Agrabad, Chittagong, at 10:30 am, boarding on BIWTC ro-ro ferry, “Bir Sreshtho Ruhul Amin”.
Speaking at the press conference, Managing Director of Western Marine Shipyard Mr. Sakhawat Hossain said the Germanischer Lloyd approved vessels have been successfully built in compliance with the highest international standard under the supervision of Class.
“This is the first time in the modern shipbuilding history in Bangladesh that a local shipyard would make quadruplet delivery to its three distinguished buyers. This event will bring another significant landmark for a Bangladeshi shipyard among the world’s shipbuilding countries. The EMSWAVE & EMSTIDE are 5200 DWT MPC ships certified as E3 ice-class vessels, meaning that it is designed and equipped to sustain in cryogenic weather condition. Around 3,500 tones of ice-class steel were fabricated by using 60 tones of welding electrodes to build the ships while 23 kilometers of marine cables and 24,000 liters of paints were used for their skin protection.
PV Rakkhi is the first and only pilot-cum service vessel which will be added to the fleet of Chittagong Port Authority from today. The vessel will not only carry pilots but it will be well equipped to provide emergency service to the incoming and outgoing vessels. PV Rakkhi is designed to carry 12 passengers and 10 crews with emergency equipment. The vessel has been modeled to operate round the year within the coastal and sea region of Bangladesh during monsoon rough sea condition (BF– 7) with minimum 3m swell height. Class approved by Germanischer Lloyd, the ship is made with highly strengthened steel to withstand heavy bumping with LCCs & VLCCs.
The ro-ro ferry to be delivered to the BIWTC has been named after the freedom fighter ‘Birsrestho Md. Ruhul Amin’. ‘Birsrestho Md. Ruhul Amin’ is the first Bangladesh-made ro-ro ferry that will be added to the fleet of BIWTC out of ten Danish and two Chinese made ro-ro ferries of BIWTC. The ferry approved by the Germanischer Lloyd is very advanced and sophisticated design. This local made ro-ro ferry will carry passengers and motor vehicles in the Chorjanajat-Mawa route that will help enhance the inland waterways communication system.
Managing Director of Grona Shipping, Mr. Ebbe Prins were present at the press conference.
