Gibdock to upgrade wharf capacity, offer air lubrication retrofits

After a busy and varied summer, Gibdock is receiving early bookings for future projects as it plans new partnerships and infrastructure enhancements. Gibdock is planning investments to allow deeper-draft vessels at its wharfs, enabling the yard to service offshore platforms, rigs and floating production storage and offloading vessels (FPSOs).

Gibdock commercial director John Barnard told Ship Repair and Offshore Journal the yard is already working on projects within the targeted deeper-draft vessel segments, and that it will soon announce a new technology retrofit option to its clients.

“We are thrilled to be announcing an exclusive partnership with a leading technology provider for air lubrication systems very soon. This technology is well-proven to reduce fuel consumption of ships and its use has been rapidly expanding in the newbuild sector. Via our partnership, we are making this technology available to our partners in the retrofit market,” said Barnard.

The yard’s new plans come after two ‘very busy’ years, Barnard said, leading some operators to book slots in the dock earlier than usual, with inquiries stretching into 2026.

Summer projects across Gibdock’s three docks, fabrication pad, and 7,000m2 workshops included three projects with tight turnaround times: a collision damage project, alongside maintenance work on an offshore support vessel (OSV), and a superyacht drydocking.

Barnard said inquiries for superyacht services have risen since the recent signing of a Superyacht Agency Agreement with BWA Yachting, and that Gibdock is excited about the business area.

After a series of LNG dual-fuel conversions for ferries, and scrubber installations, inquiries for such work had slowed in the past twelve months, said Barnard.

“Speaking with operators we are expecting to see these pick up in the coming months as regulations continue to come into force,” he added.

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