<p data-path-to-node="6"><b data-path-to-node="6" data-index-in-node="0">KOCHI</b> — Advancing India’s strategic footprint in the international high-tech commercial shipbuilding sector, state-owned shipyard giant Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has formally delivered <i data-path-to-node="6" data-index-in-node="189">MS Maria</i>, the second vessel in an eight-ship series of 7,000 DWT multi-purpose dry cargo vessels (MPVs) under the <i data-path-to-node="6" data-index-in-node="303">HS EcoFreighter</i> banner, to Germany-based commercial shipowner HS Schiffahrts UG (haftungsbeschränkt) &amp; Co. KG.</p><p data-path-to-node="7">The official Delivery and Acceptance Protocol was formally signed in Kochi by Dr. S. Harikrishnan, Director (Operations) at Cochin Shipyard Limited, and Heinz Josef Schepers, Director of HS Schiffahrts, in the presence of senior classification auditors from DNV and maritime dignitaries. The vessel follows the successful delivery and global commissioning of the series' lead vessel, <i data-path-to-node="7" data-index-in-node="384">MS Heinz</i>, which entered active North Sea and Mediterranean short-sea trading earlier in the year.</p><h4 data-path-to-node="9"><b data-path-to-node="9" data-index-in-node="0">Engineering Architecture &amp; Advanced Hydrodynamic Optimization</b></h4><p data-path-to-node="10">Constructed in strict accordance with the classification rules of DNV (Det Norske Veritas) and flying the flag of Portugal, the 110-metre-long, 16.5-metre-beam vessel is engineered by Netherlands-based naval architecture firm Groot Ship Design.</p><p data-path-to-node="11"><i data-path-to-node="11" data-index-in-node="0">MS Maria</i> is specifically customized to achieve low hydrodynamic resistance and maximum fuel economy:</p><ul data-path-to-node="12"><li><p data-path-to-node="12,0,0"><b data-path-to-node="12,0,0" data-index-in-node="0">Groot Cross-Bow Design:</b> The vessel features a specialized raked stem paired with the patented "Groot Cross-Bow" configuration and a transom stern, minimizing wave-making resistance, mitigating slamming in heavy sea conditions, and driving down lifecycle bunker consumption by up to 15%.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="12,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="12,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Modular Multi-Cargo Hold Architecture:</b> Outfitted with a single, high-capacity, unobstructed cargo hold equipped with six movable bulkhead panels, the ship supports flexible deck configurations—enabling rapid conversion between grain bulkheads, multi-tier tween decks, and heavy project cargo setups.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="12,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="12,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">Propulsion &amp; Ice-Class Hull:</b> Powered by a medium-speed four-stroke marine diesel engine driving a Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP) through an integrated reduction gearbox, the ice-class certified hull is fully capable of year-round navigation through ice-prone Baltic and Arctic waterways.</p></li></ul><h4 data-path-to-node="14"><b data-path-to-node="14" data-index-in-node="0">Versatile Sourcing and Global Trade Integration</b></h4><p data-path-to-node="15">The vessel is designed for worldwide trading, equipped to carry heavy machinery, wind turbine components, containerized payloads, steel coils, forestry timber, paper rolls, dry bulk commodities (such as grain and coal), as well as packaged International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG).</p><p data-path-to-node="16">The ongoing execution of the ₹880-crore, eight-vessel contract positions Cochin Shipyard as a preferred global fabrication yard for European short-sea shipping lines seeking high-efficiency tonnage to comply with stringent FuelEU Maritime emissions intensity caps and International Maritime Organization (IMO) Tier-III environmental standards.</p>