Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE), a leading shipyard under the Ministry of Defence, has strengthened its global footprint in green shipbuilding by signing a new contract with Germany’s Carsten Rehder Schiffsmakler und Reederei GmbH & Co. KG. The agreement, inked on Friday, September 19, 2025, in Hamburg, Germany, covers the construction of four Hybrid Multi-Purpose Vessels (MPVs) worth USD 62.44 million.
This deal marks a natural extension of the successful collaboration between GRSE and Carsten Rehder, following the ongoing 7,500 DWT Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPV) project currently under execution in Kolkata. The latest contract also includes a provision for building two additional hybrid propulsion vessels, highlighting GRSE’s rising role in the commercial and sustainable shipbuilding segment.
The contract was signed between Cdr Shantanu Bose, IN (Retd), Director (Shipbuilding), GRSE, and Mr. Thomas Rehder, Managing Director of Carsten Rehder. Senior officials from both organizations attended the signing ceremony, reinforcing the long-term partnership and shared commitment toward sustainable maritime solutions.
The newly contracted Hybrid MPVs will feature advanced battery-assisted hybrid propulsion systems, enhanced fuel efficiency, and versatile cargo handling capabilities. At 120 metres in length and 17 metres in width, with a maximum draft of 6.75 metres, each vessel can carry up to 7,500 metric tonnes of bulk, general, and project cargo. They are also designed to accommodate containers on hatch covers and transport multiple large windmill blades on deck, directly catering to the fast-growing renewable energy logistics sector.
This project builds on GRSE’s earlier milestones under the CORAL 7500 DWT MPV program. The initiative began with the first four-vessel contract in June 2024, followed by additional agreements in September 2024, December 2024, and March 2025, which raised the total to eight vessels. Steel cutting for the series commenced on April 17, 2025, marking GRSE’s first major international export order in the commercial shipbuilding space.
