Kochi: Norwegian Ambassador to India, Hans Jacob Frydenlund on Monday visited the Cochin Shipyard for the potential collaboration in new and emerging technologies on the shipping front.

Ambassador Frydenlund and the Innovation Norway team visited Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) where he held discussions with Madhu S Nair, Chairman and Managing Director, CSL who explained the ongoing projects to him.

CSL has a long history of association with Norwegian clients and maritime companies. CSL has delivered around 35 vessels in the past 20 years with technology partners from Norway.

Potential collaboration in new and emerging technologies on the shipping front was also discussed during the meeting.

A detailed presentation on CSL's plans for the green shipping front was made to the Ambassador and the Norwegian contingent. The Norwegian Ambassador also visited the Kochi Water Metro Hybrid-Electric Ferries which are under construction at the yard.

CSL is currently building two autonomous electric zero-emission vessels for the Norwegian company ASKO Maritime. This project is an ambitious project in Norway partially funded by the Norwegian Government aimed at emission-free transport of goods across the Oslo fjords.

These vessels will be managed by M/s Massterly AS, a joint venture between M/s Kongsberg, the world leader in autonomous technology and M/s Wilhelmsen, one of the largest maritime shipping companies.

The 67-metre-long vessels will initially be delivered as full-electric transport ferries powered by an 1846 kWh capacity battery. After commissioning of autonomous equipment and field trials in Norway, these vessels will operate as fully autonomous ferries of ASKO that can transport 16 fully loaded Standard EU trailers in one go across the fjords.

The vessels being built at CSL are designed by Naval Dynamics, Norway using Kongsberg Maritime systems, with detailed engineering carried out by CSL.

They will be built under DNV GL Classification and flagged in Norway, under the rule regulations of the Norwegian Maritime Authority.

Once in operation, these vessels will create a new benchmark for the merchant shipping world in the field of autonomous vessels with zero carbon emission.