State gas utility GAIl India has extended last date of bidding for its $7 billion tender for hiring nine newly built ships for ferrying lNG from the US by over two months to allow Indian shipyards to tie up technology for building the specialised vessels. Bids for charter hiring of nine ships quoted in three lots of three ships each were due last week but have now been extended till February 29, 2016, official sources said. One ship in each lot is to be built at an Indian shipyard.
The extension in the bid date has been done to accomodate request of Indian shipyards for allowing them time to tie up technology for building the specialised cryogenic carriers. After postponing the deadline thrice, GAIl had in February scrapped the tender to hire nine lNG carriers to ferry gas from the US, with a caveat that three of them be made in India. At that time no foreign shipyard was willing to share lNG shipbuilding technology.