Keel laid for new floating dock at Western Shiprepair

BLRT Grupp has marked the laying of the keel for a new floating dock under construction at Hat-San Shipyard in Yalova, Türkiye, destined for BLRT’s Western Shiprepair in Klaipėda. The development follows a steel-cutting ceremony held in June. The newbuild, designated NB26, is set to assist BLRT Grupp in modernising and expanding shiprepair infrastructure across its operations in Lithuania, Estonia and Finland. On completion, the floating dock will measure 200m in length and 35m in breadth, with a lifting capacity of 15,000 tonnes.

BLRT said the additional capacity will support a greater volume of repair and modernisation projects while enabling the group to pursue more technically demanding and higher-value contracts. The drydock will replace one of the existing facilities at Western Shiprepair and increase the yard's ability to accommodate larger vessels, including Panamax-class ships.

"The keel-laying ceremony is an important milestone in the continued development of BLRT Grupp’s ship repair capabilities,” said Andrejus Babachinas, chief executive of BLRT Repair Yards. “The new dock will expand Western Shiprepair’s capacity, strengthen its ability to accommodate larger and more technically demanding projects, and reinforce BLRT Repair Yards’ position as a reliable long-term partner for customers across the Baltic Sea region and beyond."

Construction of the dock at Hat-San Shipyard is on schedule. BLRT Grupp said the investment reflects its long-term commitment to expanding shiprepair capability in the Baltic region and strengthening the competitiveness of its yards in an increasingly demanding repair and conversion market.