By
Laura Hyde |
BLRT Grupp has put a new floating dock ship repair facility into service at Tallinn Shipyard in Estonia.
The 180- by 30-metre dock, with a lifting capacity of 10,000 tonnes, has been designed to make it easier to carry out maintenance, repairs and upgrades to passenger ships. It was constructed at the Hat-San Shipyard in Turkey and then transported to Tallinn by the Alfons Håkans tug boat Zeus of Finland.
BLRT Grupp, which also operates Western Shiprepair in Lithuania and Turku Repair Yard in Finland, held an official ceremony to welcome the floating dock to its new home, in a location previously occupied by a 155- by 27-metre dock.
“The construction of the new dock for Tallinn Shipyard is the next stage of the Group's ship repair investment programme, through which we have invested €90 million ($98.2 million) over the past five years,” said Fjodor Berman, chairman of the BLRT Grupp Management Board. “This step propels the holding to a new level, offering shipowners new opportunities to maintain, repair and upgrade larger vessels in Tallinn, including Handysize vessels. This will considerably enhance the competitiveness of both Tallinn Shipyard and the entire ship repair division of BLRT Grupp.”
An official ceremony was held to welcome the floating dock to its new home
“The commissioning of the new large floating dock at BLRT Grupp’s ship repair yard marks a significant milestone for Estonia's industrial progress,” said Kristen Michal, Prime Minister of Estonia. “This investment will substantially expand the yard’s capabilities to service, repair and upgrade large-capacity vessels. Simultaneously, it will support Estonia’s strategy for developing a hub of environmentally safe and innovative maritime technologies and services. If we approach this wisely, we can transform Estonia into a nation as advanced in maritime technologies as we are today in digital technologies.”
The new floating dock measures 180 by 30 metres