The dock wall vehicle project for the 93.5K floating dock “EAST END” in the Bahamas, which was EPC-contracted by the Equipment Division of CSSC Ninth Design & Research Institute (CSSC NDRI), has successfully passed LR classification surveys and owner acceptance inspections. Following its successful delivery, the project arrived at the Grand Bahamian shipyard in November. This milestone not only represents a historic leap forward in ship repair capabilities in the Western Hemisphere, but also leaves a distinct “Made in China” mark on the global shipping repair landscape.
Prior to this, maintenance for large luxury cruise ships had long relied on traditional bases in Europe, Singapore, and other locations. This transoceanic repair model proved both time-consuming and labor-intensive. The deployment of this giant floating dry dock will fundamentally transform this industry landscape—delivering revolutionary efficiency gains and cost optimization for North American and global shipping. The core technology, industrial synergy capabilities, and strategic positioning underpinning CSSC NDRI are quietly reshaping the competitive dynamics of the global ship repair industry.
The successful delivery of the “EAST END” dock wall vehicle is by no means an overnight achievement, but rather the culmination of decades of technological accumulation by the CSSC NDRI. Through continuous R&D investment and project practice, the Equipment Institute has built a product matrix covering dockside work vehicles of different tonnages and types, fully adapting to the needs of various ship maintenance scenarios.
At the core technology level, CSSC NDRI’s dock wall vehicle leads the industry with its dual advantages of “intelligence + high stability”: intelligent design significantly enhances operational efficiency while reducing reliance on manual labor; rigorous stability design ensures the equipment can confidently handle complex repair conditions in marine environments, providing shipowners with round-the-clock, highly reliable maintenance support. This establishes it as the undisputed technological benchmark in the dock wall vehicle sector.
From the signing of the contract to the successful delivery, CSSC NDRI has once again proven the global competitiveness of “Made in China” through efficient performance of contractual obligations. The dock wall vehicle project for the Bahamas shipyard’s floating dock began with the contract signing in 2024, and the project progressed efficiently and orderly throughout: In March 2025, the 93,500-tonne lifting capacity floating dock was successfully launched at Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding, marking a major phased breakthrough; in September, the equipment was successfully delivered and shipped to the Bahamas; in November, the equipment arrived at its destination as scheduled, completing the cross-border delivery successfully.
Public information shows that the Grand Bahama Shipyard was established in 2000 and mainly provides maintenance services to meet the cruise industry’s demand for shipyard facilities near its operating bases in Florida and the Caribbean. Initially, the shipyard had only one dry dock, which could handle ships with a displacement of up to 27,000 tons. In 2001, a second dry dock was added, which could handle ships with a displacement of up to 50,000 tons. In 2009, a third dry dock was added, which could handle ships with a displacement of up to 82,500 tons. Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Group each hold 40% of the shares of the shipyard, and the remaining 20% is held by the Grand Bahama Port Authority.
The floating dock to be completed is called “East End” and is expected to be delivered in November 2025 and put into use in January 2026. “East End” is designed to be 357.39 meters long, a width of 70.0 meters, a dock wall spacing of 59 meters, a dock wall height of 18.0 meters. And the dock is equipped with 44 ballast tanks, four 50t electric mobile gantry cranes and an advanced automatic dock control system, with a designed lifting capacity of 93,500 tons.