The central part of the floating dock, weighing 3,600 tons, was moored at the Wulkan Shipyard Szczecin quay. The second, 80-meter module is scheduled to be launched on Thursday. The entire structure will be connected on water. The dock is scheduled to be ready in July 2027.
The middle hull module of the dock being built for Stocznia Remontowa Gryfia in Szczecin is already on the Oder. The operation was performed on Sunday, without the participation of the media. A huge pontoon from Norway, SPMT trolleys (self-propelled transporters) from Belgium and tugboats were used to launch the structure weighing 3,600 tons, 70 m long, over 46 m wide and 19 m high.
– This is the first operation of this type in Poland on this scale. The entire hull will be assembled on water – Grzegorz Huszcz, representative of the management board of the Szczecin Shipyard “Wulkan” for production organization, told PAP. – All the equipment was transported to Szczecin in several dozen trucks – explained Huszcz.
Moving the structure from the quay to the pontoon, immersing and mooring took about 8 hours. Huszcz emphasized that the course of this operation was developed by Trend Projekt from Mokre Dwór near Gdańsk in cooperation with the “Wulkan” shipyard. Huszcz also pointed out that the huge dock is like a “sail” and even a small wind causes huge pressure on the quay or on the moorings, so launching was a difficult operation.
Another one is planned on Thursday – the second dock module, over 80 m long, will be lowered into the water. Now it is located on the “Odra Nowa”, a former slipway rebuilt into an assembly yard 108 m long and almost 50 m wide. Above it there is a gigantic gantry crane with the inscription “Szczecin Shipyard”, visible to those entering the city.
The 240-meter floating dock “Wulkan” is being built for “Gryfia” located on the other side of the Oder. The contract was signed in 2020. Investment costs were initially estimated at PLN 130 million, later PLN 160-180 million. In 2024, it turned out that the project cost over PLN 250 million, and, according to Huszcz, about 30-35 percent of the work had been completed.
It was necessary to rationalize and slim down the project. Thanks to good organization, we significantly increased broadly understood process efficiency. We build faster and cheaper – said Huszcz.
He avoided answering the question of how much the dock for “Gryfia” would cost in total. – We will build the vast majority of the dock for a much lower amount – he noted.
According to information provided by shipbuilding industry experts and Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Arkadiusz Marchewka, the construction of the dock will cost a total of approximately PLN 400 million.
– Immediately after launching the second module, we will start assembling the third module, for which we have one hundred percent of the sections prepared and painted – said Huszcz.
He pointed out that when building the dock, the shipyard cooperates with specialist companies operating in its area and also uses the competences of renowned European companies.
– The entire dock is being built on the premises of the Szczecin Shipyard, on our assets in the form of halls, prefabrication lines, processing lines, assembly yards and the wharf. The project was entirely organized by the Szczecin Shipyard, and its implementation is based on cooperation with companies that work at the shipyard, said Huszcz.
The third module is scheduled to be launched in a few months, and the finished “Gryfia” dock will be handed over in July 2027. The three parts will be merged on water. And underwater. – We are building a protective tunnel, thanks to which the underwater part can be assembled and welded. One meter below the water table, Huszcz explained.
The two extreme parts of the dock are over 80 m long. They will house the most important installations, including two huge pumping stations, which will be elements of the ballast system. There will be two cranes on the dock structure, on the left and right towers, used during ship repairs.
Thanks to the construction of a 240-meter dock, “Gryfia” will be able to earn money on inspections and renovations of vessels over 230 m long, approx. 36 m wide and weighing 24,000. tone. The largest ones entering the Szczecin-Świnoujście port. Huszcz noted that it will also be possible to dock ships with unusual gravity distribution, e.g. Ro-Paxes, i.e. passenger and cargo ferries.
– The dock is very universal. It has recesses at the bow and stern that enable the repair of ships with azimuth drives. Such as, for example, the new Jantar ferry is equipped with – concluded Huszcz.
“Gryfia” is ready to accept the structure, which is to be marked as dock No. 8 and will be the most important part of the infrastructure of the renovation facility in Szczecin). The so-called dock depth (17 m), new power cables were laid, the quay was modernized, a 57-meter pier was built, etc. The investment for PLN 140 million was completed last year.
The modernization of “Gryfia” infrastructure and the production of the dock in “Wulkan” are largely financed by the state Company Development Fund. Remontowa “Gryfia”, specializing in ship repairs and reconstructions, employs approximately 450 people. Dozens of companies operate in the “Wulkan” area, employing up to 2.5 thousand people. people. (PAP)
Video material available at https://wideo.pap.pl/pap-media,101/w-stoczni-szczecinskiej-zwodowanie-pierszy-modul-240-metrowego-doku-plywajacego,90650?previewHash=ad3d90a0e702a6960c024c3e952ccfc7
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