Revived Mangaluru shipyard delivers advanced Frisian Future vessel

Mangaluru: Chowgule Shipyards delivered Frisian Future, a diesel-electric, wind-assisted general cargo vessel on Monday, after a successful sea trial. This is the first vessel built at its Mangaluru facility to Boomsma Shipping of the Netherlands.

Frisian Future represents the future of the global shipping fleet, delivering roughly 30% lower emissions than conventional equivalents. The diesel-electric arrangement provides operational flexibility and improved efficiency across varying load conditions. Vessels of this type are increasingly being specified by European operators responding to tightening emission regulations under IMO and EU frameworks.

An 8,500 DWT foreign-going general cargo vessel, Frisian Future is sailing under the Netherlands flag, ICE class 1B vessel is classed with Lloyd's register and is compliant with SOLAS, MARPOL and IMO Tier III requirements. The vessel incorporates a forward accommodation arrangement, optimising deck and hold geometry to maximise usable cargo volume, thereby enhancing efficiency in the carriage of project cargoes. The vessel was built in Mangaluru under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Arjun Chowgule, managing director of the Chowgule Group, said, "This is a significant moment for us. The delivery of Frisian Future confirms that Mangaluru shipyard is operating as a modern facility capable of producing export-grade vessels meeting global standards. Mangaluru and Karnataka offer strong fundamentals for shipbuilding, and we expect to build on this," he said.

The Mangaluru facility supports over 6,000 direct and indirect jobs.