BLRT Grupp has signed a $43 million contract for a new floating dry dock for its Klaipėda ship repair operation in Lithuania, with the unit set to replace an existing dock and expand capacity for Panamax-class vessels.
The dock will be built by Hat-San Shipyard in Turkey. It will measure 200 m by 35 m and have a lifting capacity of 15,000 t. Once delivered, it will support broader handling capability at the Klaipėda facility.
The project forms part of BLRT Grupp’s investment programme for ship repair activities across its yards in three countries. The group said the programme is intended to expand the capabilities offered to shipowners and strengthen competitiveness.
Over the past five years, the group has invested more than EUR 100 million in this business area. According to the company, the added capacity will allow it to handle more vessels, including larger ships, increase overall workflow, and support additional jobs both directly and through related service chains.
Fjodor Berman, Chairman of the Management Board of BLRT Grupp, said a new dock built by the same shipyard was commissioned in Tallinn in August 2024. That dock measures 180 m by 30 m and has a lifting capacity of up to 10,000 t, alongside the full renovation of the surrounding dock infrastructure.
He also said the largest floating dock in the Baltic States entered service in Klaipėda in 2020. That dock measures 235 m by 45 m and has a lifting capacity of 33,000 t, allowing the repair, modernisation, and maintenance of larger vessels. In addition, a 101 m-long and 22 m-wide dock with a lifting capacity of 4,500 t in Tallinn was fully modernised in summer 2025.
The new floating dry dock is scheduled to be commissioned in autumn 2027.
BLRT Grupp operates three ship repair yards in Estonia, Lithuania, and Finland. The group said its yards repair, modernise, and service around 300 vessels each year.
