'Will boost economic growth': India's first hydrogen electric vessel likely to be delivered by next year

According to Madhu S. Nair, Chairman and Managing Director of Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), India's first indigenous hydrogen-fueled electric vessel is expected to be delivered by March or April of the upcoming year.

The building of India's first domestically produced hydrogen-fueled electric vessel is a trial project, according to Nair, who spoke during a media briefing in Kochi on Thursday. "We have completed the engineering of the project and the construction will begin very soon as the order for equipment required is placed," Nair further added.

He revealed that a firm based in Pune will manufacture the fuel cell using Indian technology, with delivery expected in March or April of the next year.

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The CMD was questioned about the shipyard that specialises in shiplifts, to which he said that it is anticipated to cost 970 crore at Wellington Island in Kochi. "For this project, we have taken 42 acres of land on lease for 30 years, where the ship lift-based shipyard will be built. This is only for medium-sized ships with a maximum length of 130 metres, a width of 25 metres and a weight of 6,000 tons," he stated.

He added that, despite a delay brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, 77% of the project has already been finished. In addition to this, he said, there would also be a parking facility for six such ships and a 1.5-kilometer berth.

"Once the project is commission next year, Kochi will be called a ship repair hub. Now, we are repairing 100 ships per year, but after this, we will repair around 150-160 ships per year," Nair said.

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He said that the project would also promote economic growth because it would provide job opportunities for at least 3,000 shipyard employees. There have been 9,000 employees already working at the shipyard, and two more extension projects are constructing in Kochi that will cost $2,800 crore, he added.

Nair claimed that 14 orders for defence products totaling 6,500 crore have been placed, while contracts for next-generation missile boats costing 9,000–10,000 crore have been signed. He also said that eight ships had been ordered from Germany.

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