Marseilles reopens bidding for giant drydock

The port believes that the dock, which has been out of service since 2000, can be brought back into operation for the repair of very large cruise ships and container and bulk carriers. It argues that the number of big ships in the Mediterranean is increasing and that there is a lack of suitable repair capacity for them. It plans to issues a formal call for projects for the dock with the aim of designating an operator by the end of 2011. However, it warned that candidates would need to be able to demonstrate ‘real and recent’ experience in handling ships more than 250m long.

The No10 drydock was built in 1975 for the repair of VLCCs but was deprived of most of the activity for which it was designed by the 1970s oil crises. It was used as a supplementary repair dock until 2000, when the port’s two other main repair docks, No8 and No9, were occupied. Last year, the port authority awarded the concession for operation of docks 8 and 9 to Italian repairer San Giorgio del Porto. It said that, through its search for an operator for the No10 drydock, it was looking to complete the range of its ship repair services.

The port, which is France’s leading cruise port, indicated that it was particularly interested in the cruise ship repair market, saying that several Mediterranean cruise ship operators had indicated that they would like to have a repair facility in their area of operation.