Modular dock designed with cranes in mind

Damen Shipyards is constructing a modular dock that can be fitted with a crane.

The Damen Modular Dock (DMD) 4020 will be delivered to Djibouti port, Africa. Djibouti's port is one of the most important gateways to the African continent and is strategically located at the confluence of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Besides maintenance of the Port Authorities' own fleet, such as tugs, work boats and pilot vessels, the dock will be used for repair and maintenance other vessels calling at the port.

Following testing in Dubai and delivery, a Damen services team will stay on location for two years to give operational and technical support.

Production of the DMD 4020 is in line with ISO 14001 environmental considerations, The vessel can be custom-built with cranes, accommodation units, roller blocks, workshop units, sandblast curtains and dock mooring systems. It incorporates low emission motors, LED lighting and dedicated systems for waste management and spills avoidance, said Damen.

The dock consists of two wing walls coupled to individual pontoons, "Every unit measures 10 metres. You can enlarge the dock to a length of 100 m whenever you choose. Modules and wing walls are coupled afloat," explained Marcel Karsijns, Damen manager for special projects. "It's equally simple to unlock the components. You can upkeep and repair these modules in the dock itself, making the dock self-maintaining. In addition, the dock contributes to the uptime and success of our customer's fleet."