In a breakthrough order, state-owned Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) won a contract from Norway’s ASKO Maritime AS for constructing two autonomous electric ferries with an option to build two more such ships. The value of two ships is Rs 125 crore, the cost does not include the value for two optional ships.
ASKO Maritime AS is a unit of Norges Gruppen ASA, one of the largest players in the Norwegian retail segment.
The autonomous electrical vessel is an ambitious project partially funded by the Norwegian Government aimed at emission-free transport of goods across the Oslo fjord, an inlet in the south-east of Norway.
The vessels will be managed by Massterly AS, a joint venture between Kongsberg (world leader in autonomous technology) and Wilhelmsen (one of the largest maritime shipping companies). Once in operation, the vessel will create a new benchmark in global shipping in autonomous vessels with zero carbon emission.
The 67 meter-long vessel will initially be delivered as a full-electric transport ferry, powered by 1846 kWh capacity battery. After commissioning of autonomous equipment and field trials in Norway, it will operate as a fully autonomous ferry of ASKO that can transport 16 fully loaded standard European Union trailers in one go across the fjords.
The vessels are designed by Naval Dynamics Norway using Kongsberg Maritime systems, with detailed engineering to be carried out by CSL. They will be built under DNV GL Classification and flagged in Norway, a stement from Cochin Shipyard said.