EXCLUSIVE: DCI to commission new TSHD Godavari in September

Dredging Corporation of India Limited (DCI) will commission its high-capacity trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) DCI Dredge Godavari later this year, DCI Managing Director and CEO, Captain S Divakar, said.

According to Divakar, the new dredger is set to begin its trials around July and is likely to be commissioned in September this year.

In January 2026, we reported that construction of the new IHC Beagle 12.000m3 TSHD at Cochin Shipyard is nearing its completion.

The keel of the dredger – built in collaboration with Royal IHC under the ‘Make in India’ initiative – was laid in September 2024.

“Building on the proven success of the Beagle class dredgers, this vessel is specifically adapted for the Indian market, featuring heavy-duty dragheads for clay-type soils and the robust IHC conical bottom valves,” said Jacco Damman, Chief Design Officer Beagle class dredgers at Royal IHC.

The construction of this high-capacity dredger is set to enhance India’s dredging capabilities, supporting the growth of coastal and inland shipping market, DCI added.

Once commissioned, this new 127m long TSHD will be the most sophisticated and technologically advanced dredger ever constructed in India.