en.Wedoany.com Reported - The National Port Administration (ANP) of Uruguay has signed a contract with the CHR Group-Rimader consortium to install a floating dry dock in the Capurro area, aiming to restore the country's ship repair capacity and consolidate the regional maritime service center status of the Port of Montevideo. The signing ceremony was held at ANP headquarters, attended by ANP President Pablo Genta, board members, the National Navy Administration of the Port of Montevideo, representatives of the Maritime Center (Cennave), and the Uruguayan Chamber of Fisheries Industries (CIPU). Genta stated at a press conference that the project is the result of a tender launched in the previous term, with the winning bidder being the CHR Group-Rimader consortium. The total investment amounts to $20 million, with a construction period of no more than 36 months.

The port authority stated that this project will restore infrastructure crucial for ship repairs. The new dry dock has a lifting capacity of 9,100 tons, a total length of 148.8 meters, and a total external width of 36 meters. It can accommodate five or more vessels laid up sideways, and is equipped with two 20-ton cranes with a working radius of 12 meters. Genta noted that approximately 500 fishing vessels (including ships from Spain, Japan, and South Korea, as well as the Uruguayan fleet operating in the South Atlantic) depart from Montevideo each year, all requiring regular maintenance, repair, and lay-up services. Since the sinking of the Tsakos floating dry dock, Montevideo has lost part of its repair capacity, leading many vessels to go to Argentine shipyards or even as far as South Africa for repairs. Genta emphasized that restoring this service is not only vital for the ships themselves but also brings economic activity, labor, and employment opportunities to Uruguay.