INFRASTRUCTURE
Floating docks boost ship repair where ports face space crunch
Mobile dry docks keep fleets serviced without land expansion.
General Dynamics Floating Drydock. Photo by GD-NASSCO.
Global fleets are growing, but ports have little room to expand their yards. Floating dry docks—self-contained repair platforms moored at port edges—are helping operators maintain vessels without costly land reclamation.
Recent developments show how port-based maintenance is evolving:
Grand Bahama Shipyard invests in massive floating docks. In May 2025, Grand Bahama Shipyard confirmed a $600 million redevelopment, including two new floating dry docks built by China State Shipbuilding. The expansion will make the yard one of the largest ship repair facilities in the Americas.
Tenerife Shipyards begins building a new floating dock. In November 2024, Tenerife Shipyards announced construction of a 22,000-tonne capacity floating dry dock at Santa Cruz. The project, due for delivery in 2026, strengthens Atlantic capacity for cruise and cargo vessel repairs.
Largest floating dry dock delivered from Turkey to USA. In August 2025, a 35,000-tonne lifting-capacity floating dock—built in Turkey—was delivered to General Dynamics NASSCO. It underscores how ports are leaning on mobile dry docks to handle oversized naval and commercial vessels.
Tenerife Shipyards Contract Ceremony. Image by Tenerife Shipyards.
That’s not all: operators are now integrating digital monitoring systems into floating docks to track stresses, ballast loads, and hull alignment during repairs. These upgrades improve safety and extend dock lifespans, while letting ports scale maintenance without acquiring more land.
—TFI
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