KARACHI: Steel Cutting ceremony of 48 tons BP Tug for PN, was held at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KS&EW), on Wednesday.

Vice Admiral Faisal Rasool Lodhi, Commander Karachi graced the occasion as Chief Guest. The ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials from GoP, Pakistan Navy, Corporate Sector and KS&EW.

The tug is fitted with state-of-the-art equipment and machinery complying class requirements and all international standards including SOLAS and MARPOL. It has 25 m overall length with a displacement of 510 tons, has a maximum speed of 12 knots and propelled by 02 x diesel engines with azimuth drive propulsion system with automated integrated machinery and tug handling system.

On the occasion, the Chief Guest congratulated Karachi Shipyard for achieving this important milestone in difficult times of pandemic. He said the strong commitment and support of MoDP is indeed a source of satisfaction, which is instrumental for successful completion of this and other ongoing projects.

KS&EW has a vital contribution in shaping the future outlook of Navy, besides creating job opportunity for masses. Recent years have seen substantial growth in KS&EW volume and variety of work particularly in the domain of Ship Building. Contract of this tug is another landmark event as manifestation of the vision of Chief of Naval Staff in which he underscores utmost emphasis on indigenous defence capabilities.

Earlier, MD KS&EW Rear Admiral Ather Saleem in his welcome address said, “We bow our heads to Almighty Allah for His help and guidance which has enabled us to revive the past glory of this national asset. We at KS&EW are committed to deliver high quality platforms and services to the utmost satisfaction of end users.”—PR

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021