The Largest Floating Dock in the Baltic States
In early July, the largest floating dock in the Baltic states was permanently installed at the Western Shipyard owned by BLRT Grupp in the port of Klaipeda, Lithuania. It has already accepted its first vessel for repairs.
This floating dock can accommodate Post-Panamax, Panamax and Aframax vessels with a length of 235 meters, width of 45 meters and lifting capacity of 33,000 tons. It was acquired by BLRT Grupp in 2016, and it has been reconditioned and modernized.
"By putting the dock into operation and accepting the first vessel for repair, the first four-year phase of a project was completed. The second phase of the ship repair branch’s development will be finished in the coming months after the installation of another large dock for Panamax vessels, acquired at the end of 2019. Currently, the dock with a length of 201 meters, a width of 35 meters and a lifting capacity of 30,000 tons is undergoing upgrading and repairs. Our existing dock with a length of 200 meters, a width of 30 meters and a lifting capacity of 27,000 tons, so far operating at the shipyard and considered the largest, will now be the third in respect of its capacities," said Mr. Andrejus Babachinas, CEO of BLRT REPAIR YARDS.
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Minerva in a floating dock at Western Shiprepair, one of BLRT REPAIR YARDS (Klaipeda, Lithuania)
The first vessel accepted by the largest floating dock in the Baltics was Minerva, a 189-meter-long and 30.5-meter-wide container ship managed by the Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement Cyprus (BSM). The vessel underwent mandatory repairs to meet the requirements applicable to the vessels of that class. Specialists of the Western Shiprepair, one of BLRT REPAIR YARDS, completed the project within just 12 days.
Over the past several years, BLRT Grupp has invested over $120 million to increase the competitiveness of Western Shipyard Group companies and to develop its capacity in Klaipeda. Implementation of a multimillion-dollar project was possible thanks to cooperation with the Klaipeda State Seaport Authority, which also invested in port infrastructure, ensuring the safe handling of ships up to 300 meters in length. All these measures will significantly enhance the operating conditions for both Western Shipyard Group companies and for other operators active in this port area.
BLRT Grupp is one of the largest industrial holding companies in the Baltic Sea region. BLRT Grupp incorporates BLRT REPAIRD YARDS - Tallinn Shipyard in Estonia, Western Shiprepair in Lithuania and Turku Repair Yard in Finland, providing comprehensive services in the field of repair and modernization of ships. The Group also owns two shipbuilding yards - Western Baltija Shipbuilding in Klaipeda and Marketex Marine in Tallinn.
For more information, please visit BLRT on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/
This post is sponsored by BLRT Grupp.
The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.