Castoldi has won a contract to supply waterjets for new ferries being built to substantially improve transport and infrastructure in the Maldives.
The contract will see over 164 Turbodrive 400 HC waterjets supplied to equip the new vessels being built by UAE shipyard giant Gulf Craft at its Maldives Shipyard.
Giacomo Castoldi, owner, Castoldi, said: “We are proud to be part of such a major project that will make a tremendous difference to the transport and infrastructure throughout the Maldives.”
Terry Stamatakos, GM Gulf Craft Maldives, said: “We worked closely with Castoldi as our strategic partner to deliver the Touring 51 ferries to the government and their performance exceeded expectations, thanks to their Turbodrive 400 HC waterjets.”
The waterjet that Castoldi is supplying for the Maldives ferries, the Turbodrive 400 HC, is the same model as that chosen to equip 80 interceptor boats of the Indian Navy, which have successfully been in operation since 2013.
Castoldi said: “The Turbodrive 400 HC Waterjet is the perfect choice for these vessels, designed to be lighter with integrated gearbox and ideally suited to the varying conditions of the Maldives, operating perfectly in shallow sandy water conditions and with optimum speed and control during voyage/”
The Turbodrive 400 HC is a compact marine propulsion system providing high towing power, cavitation resistance and efficiency at high speed. It can be equipped with Castoldi’s Clear-Duct unclogging system, and controlled by the ACES Electronic Control System. The integrated Castoldi gearbox is very light and simple, being contained within the waterjet housing.
When completed, the fleet of Gulf Craft Touring 51 ferries will be operated by Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) and will act like a system of public buses, taking locals between islands and creating a seamless transport network. The first four vessels for the Maldives Raajje Transport Link (RTL) network were officially handed over by Gulf Craft to MTCC in January 2022. They are currently undergoing route and schedule testing.
Gulf Craft provides almost 80% of the Maldives’s water transportation services which includes public transport, coast guard, emergency and ambulance services, resorts and leisure boats. It is developing a new production facility dedicated to the manufacturing of vessels for use in the Indian Ocean which will see production capacity double within 16 months.
