Kochi, June 18 (IANS) Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) Friday delivered a platform supply vessel (PSV) – the 17th it built in the last three years – to Dutch maritime offshore services supplier Vroon Offshore Division.

The protocol documents of the vessel – the workhorse of offshore oil field industry, carrying all operational supplies and stores to far-off installations – named ‘VOS PRELUDE’ were signed by officials of the CSL and Vroon Offshore.

‘The work was finished in a year’s time. Right now we are undertaking the building of 13 offshore support vessels for various foreign and Indian owners. The yard is also entrusted with the construction of the prestigious indigenous aircraft carrier project for the Indian Navy,’ CSL company secretary V. Kala told IANS.

As the offshore industry moves into deeper waters, demand for such advanced vessels is expected to rise and CSL is fully equipped to handle it, he said.

‘The 13 orders for similar vessels are currently on at various stages and we will be supplying this in a phased manner. The last of it would be delivered at the end of next fiscal,’ added Kala.

These vessels are built and classified under the most stringent rules and regulations of classification firm Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and also satisfies its ‘CLEAN’ notation.

CSL is one of the leading ship building and repair yards in the country, having started ship-building operations in 1978, ship repair in 1981, marine engineering training in 1993 and offshore upgradation in 1999.