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. To establish a viable, compliant alternative, Elegant Exit Company (EEC) partnered with Conoship International to develop the concept design for a high-capacity Floating Dry Dock (FDD). A dedicated maritime asset engineered to operate independently of local shore constraints while prioritizing environmental containment and human safety.
Engineering for the Complete Vessel Lifecycle
Rather than treating ship recycling as an isolated activity, the concept design developed by Conoship and EEC 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.
A Direct Alternative to Beaching
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 optimized overhang and integrated heavy-lift gantry crane systems.
Panamax Scale Capacity
A viable Floating Dry Dock concept design must be grounded in the structural realities of global shipping. Sizing the dock was driven by the operational profile of the global fleet, 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.
Main Principal Dimensions
- 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
A Concrete Baseline for Project Realization
With the concept design package successfully concluded, Conoship has delivered the core structural verification and operational workflows necessary to validate the physical feasibility of the dock. This technical documentation provides Elegant Exit Company with a bankable foundation as they advance into investor financing, regional site selection, and regulatory alignment. As the initiative progresses toward its basic and detailed engineering phases, Conoship looks forward to continuing the good working relation with EEC to help bring this sustainable industrial platform to reality.
Stay tuned for more updates while the project progresses, we will continuously update the FDD portfolio page as the project progresses.
