Elegant Exit Company (EEC) has partnered with Conoship International to develop the concept design for a high-capacity floating dry dock. The dedicated asset is engineered to operate independently of local shore constraints while prioritising environmental containment and human safety during ship recycling.
Traditional end-of-life vessel dismantling remains one of the maritime industry’s most pressing environmental and humanitarian challenges. The prevalent practice of beaching exposes coastal ecosystems to severe contamination and exposes shipyard workers to hazardous working conditions. The floating dry dock is to provide a viable, compliant alternative.
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Engineering for the complete vessel lifecycle
Rather than treating ship recycling as an isolated activity, Conoship and EEC developed a concept design that anchors the floating dry dock around three core operational life stages:
- Shipbuilding
- Maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO)
- Green ship recycling (GSR)
By engineering a platform that supports all three phases, the design secures long-term operational versatility, allowing operators to pivot between construction, maintenance, and end-of-life recycling based on fluctuating market demands.
Also read: EEC kicks off sustainable ship recycling of Wan Hai 165
Capture and processing infrastructure
The primary design objective was establishing a controlled industrial environment that prevents environmental discharge and protects personnel.
Unlike beaching yards, where hazardous materials can wash into tidal zones, this FDD concept integrates dedicated capture and processing infrastructure for contaminated bilge water, wastewater, and untreated ballast water. Structurally, the dock incorporates an optimised overhang and integrated heavy-lift gantry crane systems.
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Panamax scale capacity
A viable floating dry dock concept design must be grounded in the structural realities of global shipping. The operational profile of the global fleet drove the dock’s size, ensuring the structure can accommodate high-volume vessel segments. This was crucially kept within the Panamax size category, while leaving substantial clear deck space for equipment, staging, and complex cutting or assembly operations.
The main principal dimensions are:
- Length over all: 250.40 m
- Length of dock pontoon: 230.40 m
- Breadth over all: 68.00 m
- Clear width between inner walls: 56.00 m
- Depth: 23.00 m
- Overhang for marine logistics: 20.00 m
- Integrated handling system: High-capacity gantry crane running full working length of the dock
Also read: Conoship adds container feeder to short-sea portfolio
Baseline for project realisation
With the concept design package concluded, Conoship has delivered the core structural verification and operational workflows necessary to validate the physical feasibility of the dock. This technical documentation provides EEC with a bankable foundation as they advance into investor financing, regional site selection, and regulatory alignment. The initiative will then progress towards its basic and detailed engineering phases.
Picture: Floating dry dock – Elegant Exit Company concept design by Conoship International.
Also read: EEC acquires ship to demonstrate sustainable ship recycling
