Udupi Cochin Shipyard Limited (UCSL) has launched a 99-metre cargo vessel, the largest ship built at its Malpe yard since the facility's incorporation in 2021. The 6,300-deadweight-tonne dry cargo vessel, named Wilson Energy 1 and designated UY-175, is the first of eight ordered by Norway-based Wilson ASA under a contract signed in June 2024, with handover scheduled for December. The vessel was launched by Wilson ASA chairman Eivind Eidesvik and his daughter Anna Eidesvik, and is valued at around 15 million euros. UCSL CEO Harikumar A. said the launch was a major achievement for a yard primarily designed to build vessels between 80 and 90 metres. Designed by Dutch firm Conoship International BV, the ship was constructed as a complete unit, partially dismantled for transfer to the launching site and reassembled, a method described as a first for both the yard and Indian shipbuilding. The vessel has a moulded breadth of 15.8 metres, a cargo hold volume of 316,278 cubic feet, and weighed about 2,200 tonnes at launch. It features diesel-electric propulsion for improved fuel efficiency, can be retrofitted with wind foils, and carries a bow thruster for manoeuvring. Construction of the second vessel is under way, the keel of the third has been laid, and steel cutting began on the fourth. UCSL expects to complete the series before the monsoon in 2028. Norwegian Ambassador to India May-Elin Stener noted that around 160 Norwegian companies operate in India, with 70% in the maritime sector, underscoring deepening India-Norway maritime cooperation. UCSL had earlier delivered six 3,800-DWT vessels to Wilson ASA.
