Indian Navy takes first dredger from Chennai-based Tebma Shipyards

MUMBAI: The Indian Navy has inducted its first owned dredger from Chennai-based Tebma Shipyards, for its captive requirement to maintain various naval docks

Indian Navy has historically outsourced its dredging operations. It floated a tender for its first owned dredger in 2012, said Sivaram N Swamy, head of business development at Tebma, India’s biggest dredger manufacturer. Tebma won the bid next year, he added.

Tebma has sourced 90 per cent of the material from local manufacturers for this dredger compared to the usual 50 per cent said Swamy.

The dredger is a grab-hopper with the capacity to hold 300 cubic meters of dredged material and has hopper bottom doors for disposal out at sea. It was built at Tebma's facility at Malpe (Karnataka).

Tebma has in the past built and delivered various tugs and special purpose barges to the Indian Navy. This dredger is the 22nd vessel to be delivered to the navy and the 50th dredger to be built by Tebma. It has delivered 157 vessels globally till date.