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Keel Laying Marks Next Milestone in Construction of New Floating Dock for Western Shiprepair
The keel-laying ceremony for NB26 was held at Hat-San Shipyard as construction progressed on the new 200-metre floating dock for Western Shiprepair in Klaipėda.
On 5 August 2026, the keel-laying ceremony for NB26 marked the next major stage in the construction of a new floating dock for Western Shiprepair in Klaipėda, one of BLRT Repair Yards’ three ship repair yards in the Baltic Sea region.
Held at Hat-San Shipyard in Türkiye, the ceremony followed the steel-cutting milestone reached in June 2026 and confirmed the project’s continued progress from initial production into structural assembly.
The ceremony was honoured by the presence of Dr Ahmet Hamdi Usta, Governor of Yalova; H.E. Marius Janukonis, Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Türkiye; Mr Salih Tan, Director General of Coastal Structures at the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Türkiye; Mr Berat Tunakan, Honorary Consul of Lithuania in Bursa; and Andrejus Babachinas, CEO of BLRT Repair Yards.
They were joined by the teams from both sides whose work has brought the project to this important stage.
The new floating dock will measure 200 metres in length and 35 metres in width, with a lifting capacity of 15,000 tonnes. It is being built by Hat-San Shipyard on a tailor-made basis for Western Shiprepair.
Once completed, the new dock will replace one of the floating docks currently in operation at the yard in Klaipėda. It will expand ship repair capacity, broaden vessel-handling capabilities and strengthen the group’s ability to accommodate larger vessels, including Panamax-type ships.
The investment forms part of BLRT Grupp’s long-term programme to modernise and develop the infrastructure of its ship repair operations in Lithuania, Estonia and Finland. The additional capacity will support the handling of more projects, enhance the yard’s ability to compete for more technically demanding repair and modernisation contracts, and create opportunities for further growth across related maritime services and supply chains.
The new floating dock is scheduled to enter operation in autumn 2027.
Its commissioning will represent another important step in strengthening BLRT Repair Yards’ position as a trusted ship repair, conversion and modernisation partner for vessel owners operating across the Baltic Sea region and beyond.
