Colombo Dockyard lays keel of cable laying and repair vessel for Orange Marine
Daily FT: Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC) has auspiciously laid keel and commenced construction of Yard No. 0263, the newest Cable Laying and Repair Vessel for the Orange Marine of France.
This event was graced and witnessed by Ambassador for France Remi Lambert, Deputy Head of Mission Matthieu John, Economic Counsellor Philippe Fouet, Deputy Economic Counsellor Youri Desvigne Hansch, Attaché-Political Section Léonie Dauchy, Defence Adviser Lt Cder Florian Bouvenot, all from Embassy of France.
The Orange Marine was represented by the Orange Cyber defence management team member/Defence specialist and reserve naval captain Laurent Célérier, Ships Technical Director Med Marine Base Director Emmanuel Décugis, Master Mariner and New building Superintendent Capt. Edouard Chrétien, Superintendent Godefroy Choirat, and Project Manager Rohithe Amarasinghe.
The Classification Society Bureau Veritas was represented by Marine and Offshore Director – South Asia area Eric Veith, BV Operations Manager (M&O) Sri Lanka Prasanna Gunathilake, and BV Surveyor Sachintha Karunanayake.
The management team led by MD/CEO Thimira Godakumbura and Director/CFO Gihan Ravinatha, GM – Production K.N.G.W. Kariyawasam, GM – SCM Vajira Rathnayaka, GM – HRD&A Mangala De Silva, GM – YD Prabath Abeysinghe, GM – SRB S.H.P.K. Ranatunga, Consultant Benny Fernando and AGM – SP S.M.S.B. Serasinghe and other senior staff representing Colombo Dockyard PLC participated at this event.
Colombo Dockyard MD/CEO Thimira Godakumbura welcomed the distinguished guests for the event and thanked the Orange Marine team for their trust and confidence placed in Colombo Dockyard and entrusting this important project. Orange Cyber defence management team member, defence specialist and reserve naval captain Laurent Celerier during his address emphasised the close cooperation between the companies. Ambassador of France Remi Lambert during his address mentioned that the relationship between the two countries have grown through a combination of cultural and economic ties and this project marks furtherance of this economic relationship to a next level.
The vessel to be constructed is an ultramodern, high technology vessel which is specially designed by VARD Design AS Norway and will be equipped for subsea cable lay and repair operation duties with a high focus on good sea keeping qualities, excellent station keeping performance and low fuel consumption.
The vessel shall be 100m in length, 18.8m in breadth and 7.15m in depth and has a deadweight capacity of 1800 DWT. The vessel shall carry out cable operations, including laying, repair and ROV inspection. The vessel shall be built to Bureau Veritas Classification society standards and shall meet the regulatory requirements of the French Flag Authority and is scheduled to be delivered early 2028.
As the leader of the Shipbuilding Industry in Sri Lanka and one of the most competitive Shipyards in South Asia, CDPLC secured this project to build this cable laying and repair vessel showcasing the brand presence in the European Shipbuilding Market and also Cable Laying Construction Market in the world. CDPLC operates in joint collaboration with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd., of India (Mazagon) who owns a stake of 51% at Colombo Dockyard PLC.
Orange Marine, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Orange Group, a cable ship owner specialised in offshore work on submarine cables, from designing and engineering new projects to installing new connections and maintaining existing cables (telecommunications, energy, or hybrid).
OSL take:
The growth and expansion of Sri Lanka’s maritime industry and sectors connected to it are further evident by the increasing jobs undertaken by businesses engaged in sectors related to the maritime sector like Colombo Dockyard. As a country located in close proximity to international shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean, boat building and repairs is a sector that is yet to be tapped of its full potential. Sri Lanka’s growing maritime industry, especially when tensions in the Middle East have affected the global shipping industry, Sri Lanka’s key ports that are strategically located present business/investment opportunities for foreign businesses/investors on the lookout for such in the region, especially in Sri Lanka. Apart from the ports sector that is currently undergoing many expansion projects to meet the increasing demand and to be on par with the fast-expanding global maritime industry, sectors like shipping, logistics and boat manufacturing and repairs present lucrative ventures. These ventures could be looked at by foreign businesses/investors as direct engagements with the relevant authorities or as joint ventures or partnerships with local businesses already engaged in Sri Lanka’s maritime industry and related sectors.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20260409/Z_3 |