Inai Kiara Sdn Bhd, a local company involved in the sand dredging business, Wednesday launched a dredging vessel it built on its own, Inai Ixora, to cater to changes and competition in the dredging business regionally and internationally.
Its Executive Chairman, Datuk Gulzar Mohamad Noor Mohamed said his colleagues in the industry had added on new vessels in line with changes in the regulations for bidding dredging tenders. There is now a age limit for the vessels that can be used for dredging, he said.
“There are tenders for sand dredging overseas where the age of the vessel to be used has to be not more than 15 years,” he told reporters after the launching of Inai Ixora at Selat Melaka Shipbuilding Sdn Bhd’s shipyard here Wednesday.
The dredging vessel which can dig as deep as 22 metres, comes with a horse power of 13,200. Sixteen months were taken to build the vessel at the shipyard in Pulau Indah.
Gulzar said Inai Kiara decided to build its own dredging vessel at a cost of RM200 million in order to face global competition. The cost was financed by Malayan Banking Bhd.
Inai Ixora, which can board 36 crew members, is expected to start operations overseas in September. It is suitable to be used for port maintenance, reclamation works and flood mitigation. Gulzar said 60 per cent of Inai Kiara’s contracts came from overseas and 40 per cent from Malaysia. In December another dredging vessel made by Inai Kiara, Inai Liatree, will be launched.
The building of the vessel is almost complete where the engine and dredging equipment has already been fixed, Gulzar added.
(bernama)
Source: bernama, July 30, 2010; Image: inai
