'Ras Laffan dry dock to be operational by year-end'

Ras Laffan dry dock will be operational by the year-end, Nakilat managing director Mohamed Ghannam has said. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, and repair of ships, boats, and other watercraft. The work is being undertaken as part of the comprehensive development of Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLC), managed by Qatar Petroleum.
In February 2007, QP appointed Nakilat to manage the design and construction of phases 1 and 2 (major ship repair yard) and undertake various studies relating to the remaining phases.
Later, Nakilat formed a joint venture with Keppel Offshore & Marine, a global leader in ship conversion and repair as well as a specialised shipbuilder, to operate the new yard.
“We are developing the dry dock as one of the finest facilities in the world. Ras Laffan Dry Dock would eventually become one of the largest in the world. The work is in full swing. We have a big celebration planned in connection with dry dock opening later this year. It will be operational this year,” Ghannam told Gulf Times yesterday.
The phase four of the dry dock involves construction of ships for which Nakilat has set up a joint venture with Damen Shipyards Group.
The joint venture – Nakilat-Damen Shipyards Qatar (N-DSQ) – will manage this phase. The JV will manage the construction of high-value ships of up to 120m in length, including commercial, naval and coastguard vessels and luxury yachts. The dry docking facility is an essential component in the shipping industry requiring periodic maintenance.
A Nakilat estimate is that thousands of ships including LNG, LPG and sulphur carriers are expected to dock in Ras Laffan in the next few years.
Nakilat’s own fleet will have some 54 ships this year, making it the largest LNG ship owner in the world.
A ship requires maintenance every few years. With a local facility in place, Qatari vessels need not have to dry dock abroad as they do now.