The Union Minister for Shipping, Mr G.K. Vasan, has asked Cochin Shipyard to set up a committee to undertake a feasibility study for setting up ship repair facility/shipyard at Vizhinjam, Poovar or Azhikkal in Kerala.
The study should be completed by November 30, he told CSL officials during his visit to the yard, to review the company's present operations and future plans.
The Minister was apprised of the performance of CSL and the growth plans of the shipyard.
The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Prof K.V. Thomas, was also present on the occasion.
The yard also successfully carried out the bollard pull tests on the first anchor handling tugs being constructed for SCI.
The tests were undertaken at the new facility recently set up at Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram.
This is the first time in India that such a high capacity tug has been tested for bollard pull.
The 500 T SWL bollard pull facility set up at Vizhinjam is the largest in Asia and was dedicated to the nation on September 23 by the Kerala Minister for Excise and Ports, Mr K Babu.