Kolkata: It was a momentous occasion for Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, as the shipyard laid the Keel for the first vessel of Multipurpose Vessel (MPV) project being executed for Germany’s Carsten Rehder Schiffsmakler and Reederei GmbH & Co. KG.
This project marks GRSE’s first major export order for MPVs, highlighting the shipyard’s expanding footprint in the global commercial shipbuilding market.
The ceremony was graced by Cdr Shantanu Bose, IN(Retd), Director (Shipbuilding), GRSE and Jonas Meinhardt, Managing Director of Carsten Rehder. Also present on the occasion were Capt (IN) P Sunilkumar (Retd), Director (Corporate Planning & Personnel), GRSE, Niranjan Bhalerao, Director (Finance), GRSE, Fabian Greve, Commercial Director, Carsten Rehder, Helge Voigt, Chief Executive Officer, Technolog, senior officials from GRSE and representatives from the German shipping firm.
This milestone marks the beginning of a significant collaboration, combining innovation, precision, and craftsmanship to deliver modern series of high performance Multi Purpose Vessels under the CORAL 7500 DWT MPV series, a collaborative project between GRSE and Carsten Rehder, Germany.
The initial contract for four vessels was signed on June 22, 2024, followed by subsequent agreements bringing the total order to twelve vessels. The final contracts, including for the ninth to twelth vessels, were signed on September 19, 2025.
Each MPV is designed with an overall length of 120 metres and a beam of 17 metres, with a draught of 5.85 metres. With a capacity to carry 7,500 metric tonnes of cargo, these vessels are equipped with a single, large cargo hold designed for bulk, general and project cargoes. An innovative feature is the capability to carry containers on hatch covers and multiple large windmill blades on deck – enhancing flexibility in cargo handling.
The project is being developed in close collaboration with German firms including F.H. Bertling, ForestWave Navigation/Schulte & Bruns, and Delft Shipping. Technical design expertise has been provided by SEDS, in partnership with GRSE and these ships shall be certified by DNV, the classification society.
