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    ABLE Seaton Port - Dry Dock

    The ABLE dry dock facility at ABLE Seaton Port (ASP) is one of the largest in the world. Through an on-going investment programme of circa £50m ABLE has re-established ASP as a facility of strategic national significance.

    Dry docks of this nature and scale are exceptional and play an influential role in defining the UK’s capabilities to service key sectors such as oil and gas, large scale construction projects and offshore renewables.

    ABLE’s flexible approach enables companies wishing to undertake large commissions, such as fabrications for the oil and gas sector or the manufacture of gravity based foundations for the burgeoning renewables industry, to hire the dry dock on a project by project basis.

    The dry dock also offers a unique proposition to oil and gas rig operators. In addition to ASP offering wet berthing and servicing, the dry docks sheer size means it can also offer full dry dock servicing to the largest rigs, platforms and heavy lift vessels currently operating in the North Sea.

    Currently the dry dock is 376m long and 233m wide with an entrance width of 120m. A multi-million pound upgrade of the dry dock to include a new wider concrete caisson dry dock gate and the creation of a new inner dock area will enable the yard to expand its service offering and provide greater flexibility to tackle large complex projects.

    Dry Dock
    Length 376m
    Max. Width 233m
    Entrance Width Currently 120m
    Dock Floor -6.65mCD
    Water Depth at MHWS 12.15m
    Dock Access 200m 1:15 Gradient Ramp
    Dry Dock Two (Proposed Expansion)
    Length 100m
    Combined Dock Length 496m
    Dock Floor -6.65m

    Our dry dock facility is a key enabler for pivotal activity within a variety of sectors. We are interested to speak to customers with a variety of potential uses:

    Ship Recycling – ABLE is already a major player in this sector.

    Offshore Decommissioning – ASP is one of a few yards that has the capability to be able to recycle large steel jackets (similar to those that were originally constructed at the yard – 28,000T, 288m x 85m x 85m).

    Heavy Lift Vessels (HLV) – HLVs that operate in European waters currently rely on availability at one European yard in Holland for repairs, upgrades and maintenance.

    Super Lift Vessels (SLV) – The offshore industry has been considering a new range of SLVs for some time. Due to its size, the ASP dry dock is suitable for constructing and maintaining SLVs similar to those like the ‘Allseas Pieter Schelte 382m x 124m’

    Aircraft Carriers – ASP’s dry dock is the only dry dock in Europe that has the capability of simultaneously docking two aircraft carriers.

    Commercial Ship Repair – this is a sector with strong and steady demand, and the large dry dock will allow very large vessels (too large for existing European yards) to have work undertaken in the UK thus providing a new work stream to the UK.

    GBS Recycling – Gravity Base Units used in the offshore oil and gas industry are very large structures often over c. 50,000T over 60m tall. They are now coming near to the end of their designed life and facilities are required for their recycling. ASP satisfies the sectors demand for a large dry dock, with a gate opening over 120m.

    GBS Manufacture – The offshore wind sector is considering the use of GBS foundations for projects in deeper water. ASP dry dock provides a location for the prototype and serial manufacture of GBS foundations as well as their deployment. This sector is also soon requiring test and demo sites to make prototypes and rehearse their deployment via a variety of different methods.

    Oil Rig & GBS Fabrication for Oil and Gas – ASP is one of a few yards that have the scale necessary to construct these very large structures. Undertaking construction in a dry environment allows for cost reductions to be achieved thus improving ASP’s market position.

    Bespoke working practices can be developed for future projects to ensure our client’s specific needs are met.