New yard, big plans

A new repair yard, Papua New Guinea Dockyard Ltd, has opened on Motukea Island, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

The yard is targeting vessels up to 5,500t and is based around a ?wedge car? shiplift system. A wedge shaped steel frame travels on rails under the ship to be docked. The vessel is blocked onto a transfer trolley sitting on the wedge car, and the car, with vessel, is winched to the surface. The ship can then be moved via a transfer system to any of six 35m x 129m maintenance bays, which are all equipped with high pressure fresh water, compressed air and electricity.

The wedge car can take vessels up to 30m beam and 120m in length with a maximum weight of 5,500t. The yard docked its first vessel on July 18, and had drydocked 43 ships ranging in size from 150 ? 5,000t by early December, carrying out typical repair and maintenance work.

PNG Dockyard occupies six hectares on the industrial island of Motukea, in Fairfax Harbour, Port Moresby. The island features deepwater access from the shipping channels, or land access via a 500m causeway.

Longer term the company is planning to build two graving docks for ships to 150,000.