Navratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) on Tuesday commenced the production of first of the six multipurpose cargo vessels (MPV) for Navi Merchants, a fully-owned subsidiary of the Copenhagen Merchants Group of Denmark.

The total project is valued at $86.05 million or approximately ₹700 crore, with each vessel featuring a hybrid propulsion drive, built to meet stringent emission standards and shall be classified under DNV (Det Norske Veritas), which is an international accredited registrar, MDL said.

MDL signed a contract with Navi Merchants to design, build, and deliver six MPVs each with a capacity of 7,500 deadweight tonnage (DWT), with an option to build four additional vessels.

The first vessel is scheduled for delivery in April 2026. The production began with the plate cutting ceremony which took place in the presence of Simon Christensen, the CEO of Navi Merchants and Sanjeev Singhal, Chairman and Managing Director of the MDL.

The vessels, informed the MDL, will be designed as ‘Ice Class 1B’ which means it can operate in moderate ice conditions, equipped with a single screw, controllable pitch, medium-speed diesel engine, and will include Electrical Energy Storage systems to comply with DNV Class notation Battery (Safety) for unrestricted global operations.

These versatile vessels will be capable of transporting a wide range of cargoes, including dry bulk, project cargo, containers, steel products, general cargo (including packaged, palletized, and bagged goods), forest products and dangerous cargo.

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