Damen Shipyards & Buoyancy Consultants sign MOU for Green Tugs
Amidst the backdrop of India’s largest maritime summit, the Global Maritime India Summit 2023 in Mumbai, the Industry’s most trusted name in shipbuilding Damen Shipyards and Goa based Buoyancy Consultants sign an exclusive MOU to introduce ‘Green Tugs’ in India.
The grand inauguration of this momentous occasion was graced by the presence of the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi. The MoU signing was a testament to India's commitment to sustainable and eco-friendly maritime practices, thereby complementing the ambitious goal of transforming India into a 'Global Hub for Green Shipbuilding by 2030,' as set forth by the Union Ministry for Ports, Waterways, and Shipping.
Since 1927 Damen Shipyards has been one of the world's leading shipyards with over 36 yards globally and 12000 employees. Uniquely focused on innovation, efficiency, and most importantly sustainability, this third generation run company, harnesses this value system to bring cutting edge maritime solutions to the industry. With ninety years and 6000 ships ship of experience the Damen Group has delivered to Naval , Government and private clients across the globe.
Under this pioneering agreement, Damen Shipyards will provide the initial design for the 'Green Tugs,' leveraging their global expertise and experience. Buoyancy Consultants, in turn, will meticulously craft the detailed basic design, incorporating indigenous solutions wherever possible. Furthermore, they will collaborate on the production design, ensuring compliance with Indian shipyard requirements. This collaborative effort promises to introduce state-of-the-art technology to India’s maritime landscape.
Regional Sales Director (Asia Pacific) Mr. Dingeman van Woerden shared his vision of the outcome of this MOU. “We are excited about the green vision Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi has spread out for the Indian Maritime sector. This fully complies to the Damen strategy on sustainable shipbuilding and to become a reliable and green partner for the Indian Shipbuilding Industry. The MOU with Buoyancy Consultants is one of the first steps we take to be present in the Indian Maritime market and to make our sustainable solutions accessible for our partners”.
The Global Maritime India Summit 2023 served as the ideal backdrop for this historic announcement. The event emphasized India’s growing stature in the maritime world, showcasing the nation’s proactive approach toward fostering global and regional partnerships and attracting investments. This particular Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS) 2023, an eagerly anticipated event on the maritime calendar, is expected to bolster India’s maritime economy further, providing a fertile ground for international collaborations and financial investments.
Buoyancy Consultants celebrated its 10th year in operations in May 2023 & has made giant strides in the maritime industry. This Goan-based company started with a team of 3 and now has offices in Europe, The US, and Asia and a team of over 100 strong. As one of the fastest growing & reliable design engineering & consultants and has already delivered on 310+ projects from Ship Building to the Offshore segment.
CEO & Managing Parter, Mr. Prasad P. Sawant had this to say about the MOU : "Maritime India Vision 2030 established under PM Modi has set an ambitious target for the Indian maritime industry towards achieving a green and sustainable port development and its operations, our collaboration with Damen brings the world's best technical knowledge coupled with our efforts to indigenous the designs with Indian content, this will bring the best value to our industry partners and help build most advanced and crew & environment-friendly platform in the Indian market."
Earlier this year The Ministry of Shipping had directed all major ports to procure or charter tug boats that are only ‘Made in India’. All procurements being done by major ports would now need to be carried out as per the
revised ‘Make in India’ Order. This includes renewals of charters for new vessels. Bridging the technology and expertise gap for sustainable green tugs, the knowledge transfer charted out in the MOU will accelerate this directive reaching fruition. Further points listed in the MOU are directed at, shared technological expertise for 50 to 80 BP Green Tugs range and automation package.
