Fincantieri announced plans to develop a new ship repair
yard in coordination with the government in Mexico’s Yucatan state.
Strategically located close to the cruise trade and oil and gas industry, the
yard will feature some of the largest facilities in the Americas.
Under the terms of a letter of intent signed with the
Ministry of Economic Development and Labour of the Yucatán State, Fincantieri
will participate in the design and construction of the new ship repair,
conversions, and maintenance yard. Fincantieri will advise during the
construction phases and will be granted a 40-year concession for the exclusive
management of the new yard.
The shipyard will be located at the Port of Progreso, the
main port in the Yucatan, in a new expansion and modernization zone dedicated
to industrial activities. It is anticipated that construction will begin in the
first half of 2021 with the government managing the dredging and construction
of infrastructure. The yard will be developed in phases, which they plan to complete
by 2027.
Among the facilities planned for the yard are two masonry
dry docks able to accommodate ships up to 400 meters (over 1,320 feet) in
length. The largest dry docks in the Americas, the yard will be able to service
large cruise and cargo ships as well the oil and gas sector.
The yard will also have a lifting platform for units up to
150 meters in length, about 1,000 meters of docks, cranes, workshops, special
equipment, offices, and warehouses. Once the shipyard reaches full operational
capacity, it is anticipated that it will employ up to 700 full-time personnel
as well as supporting a network of up to 2,500 people during peak times.
The new Progreso shipyard will be strategically placed to
serve a broad range of the commercial shipping industry both with repairs and
ongoing maintenance. The location and size of the facility will be especially
important to the cruise industry which prefers yards close to the ship’s area
of operations. The cruise industry supported the development and is a major
customer of the shipyard at Freeport in the Bahamas because of its proximity to
the cruise ships’ U.S. homeports. The location in Progresso also provides good
access to the oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico.