Marg Constructions dredging acquisition

Marg Constructions Ltd has announced the arrival of its acquisition - A Cutter Suction Dredger named ‘MARG CAUVERY’. MARG CAUVERY with a dredging capacity of 2000 cubm/hour arrived in India on November 09, 2007 and would be immediately deployed in the dredging works of Karaikal Port which is currently being developed by the Company.

MARG Cauvery, a non-propelled cutter suction dredger, would be able to dredge at depths in the range of 5 to 25 m. The vessel designed to 1191 GRT / 358 NRT, is of 73.20 m length and 15m in breadth with keel to most height of 12 m.

One of the major challenges faced by the port industry is the inadequate draught in the existing ports for handling post panamax and capsize vessels and huge oil tankers. In order to overcome this, the NMDP has envisaged substantial investments in dredging / deepening of existing ports. Furthermore, host of captive and other private sector ports are being developed all along the country’s long coast which has further enhanced the demand for dredging.

For year 2005, the dredging market is estimated at Rs 650 Cr per annum, comprising of Rs 600 Cr of maintenance dredging and Rs 50 Cr of capital dredging. Dredging Corporation of India Ltd (DCI) is by far the most significant player in the Indian dredging market.

In terms of the NMDP report, the total expenditure earmarked for dredging of all major ports by 2011-12 is estimated to be Rs 6304 Cr, out of the total port development expenditure of Rs 55804 Cr. This translates into a dredging volume of about 500 million cubm over six to seven year period After taking into account the maintenance dredging (about 60 million cubm), capital dredging in ports being developed by private sector and also in non-major ports owned by Governments / Maritime Boards, the total dredging market is estimated to exceed 150 to 160 million cubm per year.

At present the dredging industry in India is dominated by Dredging Corporation of India Ltd (DCI) in the public sector and the four major foreign companies of Boskalis, Dredging International, Jan be Nul and Van Oord. The four foreign companies amongst themselves is reported to own about 105 Trailer Suction Hopper Dredgers (TSHDs) and 83 Cutter Suction dredgers (CSDs), compared to 10 TSHDs and 2 CSDs by DCI”. Besides DCI, the other Indian companies / groups engaged in commercial dredging activities include Dharti, Mercantor, Chellarams and Jaisu.