Mediterranean's Biggest Drydock Operational

Dry dock no. 10 of Marseille Port, the biggest dock in the Mediterranean area and one of the biggest in the world, is fully operational. 

Operated by Chantier Naval de Marseille (CNdM), dock no. 10 is is 465 meter in length and 85 meters wide and can accommodate all types of naval vessels, including those exceeding 270 meter in length.

With the new facility, the shipyard will be able to position itself and the port of Marseille as a state of the art location for all shipowners and cruise ships, tankers, cargo ships, RO/RO, container ships and offshore platforms will all be able to benefit from the extensive expertise and state of the art technologies of the yard. About 10 million euro in investments have been planned to increase the shipyard’s efficiency.

Work commenced on Monday with scheduled maintenance schedule on an MSC cruise ship. This will be followed by work on two Costa ships at the end of November and beginning of December.

Among CNdM activities, a special focus will be given to operations linked to the optimization of energy efficiency and environmental performances of cruise ships, in line with the new regulations and cruise lines investments strategies. This follows a significant milestone in the consolidation of CNdM, represented by the entry of Costa Crociere with a 33.3 percent share back in August 2016. 

“It is a great satisfaction for our company to see Forme 10 finally fully operational, as we have always believed in the great potential of this facility. The availability of Forme 10 marks a turning point in the operations of Chantier Naval de Marseille, which now has all it takes to become the point of reference in the Mediterranean area for ship repair, maintenance and conversion,” said Ferdinando Garrè, CEO of San Giorgio del Porto, parent company of CNdM and headquartered in Genoa, Italy. 

“This was made possible thanks to a series of investments that aimed at expanding our business to new market segments and, subsequently, at increasing the efficiency of the shipyard with the best available technologies. In this respect, the partnership with Costa Crociere played a crucial role. Moreover, the investment will benefit both direct employment and the entire supply chain.”

"The new opening of Dry dock no. 10 and the arrival of the first vessel is a major event for Chantier Naval de Marseille and for all its staff. With this new facility, Chantier Naval de Marseille can provide its customers not only with a new dry dock for the busiest period (October to March), but also with a dock which, with its unique size, allows us to accommodate other type of vessels and to position ourselves in a high-potential business segment, such as LNG and offshore, to realise more complex projects,” said Jacques Hardelay CEO of Chantier Navale de Marseille. “This outcome is the result of the work of CNdM’s staff in close collaboration with the Grand Port Maritime de Marseille and a constant support of all the local stakeholders.”

“The port of Marseille Fos is the first French cruise port and plays a major role in the Mediterranean Sea. The size of the new ships requires dry docks of adequate measures and in proximity of their area of operation. Dry dock no. 10 responds to this need and opens new industrial perspectives to large scale ship repair, offering new opportunities for the offshore sector, gas tankers, bulk carriers or container ships,” said Christine Cabau Woehrel, president of the Directory Port of Marseille Fos - Chief Executive Officer of Marseille Fos Port Authority. “It is a new page for ship repair in Marseille. We can now offer our customers, on the same premises, a complete port service, from commercial operations to major repair and refit activities, in a unique industrial pole in the Western Mediterranean.”

Works to restore dock no. 10 started in mid-2013 and included the construction of a new floating concrete gate, the overhaul of the pumping system, the repair of the lifting facilities and the redesign of all networks.

The port of Marseille, the largest in France, is at the forefront of the shipbuilding industry thanks to its infrastructural features, which allow the handling of large vessels. Chantier Naval de Marseille operates three dry docks, dock no. 8, no. 9 and the new no.10.

Chantier Naval de Marseille was founded by San Giorgio del Porto in 2010 and employs about 120 people, including naval architects, mechanical engineers and specialized technicians. The shipyard is located in a strategic position, at the center of a large traffic zone extending from Genoa to Barcelona.