LOTS keen to manage Small Craft Park

LOTS (Land, Ocean, Transport Services) Shipping Limited has submitted a proposal for the management of the proposed Small Craft Park of Kinfra at Puthuvype, near Kochi.

John Mathews, executive director of the company, said the park was originally mooted by Kinfra, an infrastructure development agency under the state government, to build barges and other small and medium vessels for various purposes.

The proposal is to start vessel-building facility adjacent to the Single Point Mooring (SPM) project of Kochi Refinery at Puthuvype. The project envisages yards with a capacity to build 30-40 vessels of different sizes at a time.

He said that since LOTS had the track record in similar production line, the company had submitted a detailed report on taking the complete management of the park.

"After the fall of the UDF government, there is an uncertainty over the project."

However, he said that the company was still hopeful on the project and would approach the LDF government in order to re-vitalise the project which has tremendous growth potential.

Master Shipyard, a sister concern of LOTS, has a barge building facility at Edakochi, near Kochi, but has limited capacity. The yard has already completed work on seven barges of various tonnages.

He added that there was good demand for barges and small vessels even from abroad. "Enquiries are coming in for building barges from African countries."