LOCAL ship repairing company, Dock Yard, is seeking to establish a $627.6 million dry docking facility to service the increase in maritime activity that Guyana is experiencing due to its burgeoning oil-and- gas sector.

A dry dock is a dock which can be drained of water to allow for the inspection and repair of marine vessels. By international convention, vessels need to be dry-docked once every five years. Marine vessel owners and operators can have major operational issues if their vessels are not routinely maintained.

Dock Yard’s aim is to provide quality services for the maritime industry, with an industry-leading facility.
“This will be a pioneering project, and one of the flagship projects in the maritime industry within Guyana’s landscape,” the project proposal said.

“Vessels owners and operators would have acute operational issues if their vessels are not routinely maintained, creating inherent risks for crew members and maritime traffic. Therefore, it is imperative to resolve these issues that would adversely impact on the industry.”

The Managing Director of Dock Yard is Pritipaul Singh Jnr. Dock Yard’s dry docking facility will be located on the eastern bank of the Demerara River, and comprise approximately 30,000 square feet, with a concrete foundation and floor. The dry dock will be able to hold vessels that weigh up to 5,000 tons, with a maximum length of 300 feet.

The new facility is expected to create direct employment for 25 persons on a full-time basis, with scope for 100 to 150 additional employees on a part-time basis, given cyclical increases in demand.

Contractors of Dock Yard would also be given employment based on the demanded jobs that are on the dry dock. These contractors would include welders, fabricators, skilled labourers, general labourers and foremen.

A third party, Kelemarc Sales and Consultancy Services, would be used to certify employees and equipment being used to paint vessels or barges, do any type of abrasive blasting, or changing of plates (steel).

Dock Yard currently has the only floating dock in all of Guyana.  At Dock Yard, there is a concrete wharf facility that spans 145 feet. The dry dock will float alongside the wharf. To lift any boat, the operation would entail sinking the dry dock to the desired depth, driving the vessel on, and then pumping the dry dock up with the use of submerged pumps located at the bottom of the dry dock.

Since the discovery of oil in Guyana in 2015, and the subsequent production of oil in 2019, there has been a gratuitous increase in the amount of maritime activity in Guyana. Thus, more docking services will be needed to support this increase in maritime activity.

The dry docking facility will also be a way of increasing local content, being able to service the increase in offshore traffic associated with the rapid economic expansion of Guyana.

“There exists an overall deficit in this type of infrastructure in Guyana; the impact of inadequate facilities to accommodate the work in the maritime sector represents a loss of local content and opportunities to Guyanese. Without supporting infrastructure, much of the business opportunities are carried to other countries [when] services can be carried out in Guyana. This [facility] will result in significant benefits to the local economy, including employment, duties and taxes, ancillary goods and services and capacity-building,” the company noted.

According to Dock Yard, customers will receive quality services in hull inspection, full maintenance, and other services such as shore-power, fresh water waste removal, and equipment rental, while there will also be a fully geared machining shop.

“These, coupled with the other services will allow Dock Yard to be a “One Stop Shop” to offer its service of dry docking to the maritime sector,” the company explained.