Shipping Corp of India Launches Tender for Six LNG-Ready Boxships

State owned Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) has launched a global tender for up to six 8,000 TEU containerships in a programme worth an estimated $720m as New Delhi steps up efforts to rebuild a national liner fleet.

The tender covers two firm vessels and options for a further four, with bids due by August 31 and opening scheduled for September 1. The contract may ultimately be awarded to SCI, a joint venture or a special-purpose vehicle, allowing the ships to become part of the planned Bharat Container Shipping Line.

The LNG dual-fuel-ready ships will be built under a framework designed to support India’s shipbuilding ambitions. Indian yards will have the right to match the lowest qualified foreign bid, while domestic builders without experience constructing containerships of this size can participate by partnering with an overseas yard that has delivered at least two vessels above 5,000 teu over the past decade and has LNG dual-fuel design experience.

The tender also requires the successful shipyard to build the vessels at its own facilities, preventing complete outsourcing of construction.

The proposed Bharat Container Shipping Line would bring together SCI, Container Corporation of India, Sagarmala Finance Corporation, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, Chennai Port Authority and V O Chidambaranar Port Authority as India looks to establish a stronger presence in international liner shipping.