Adriatic42, a new superyacht repair and maintenance shipyard in Montenegro, has officially opened its doors and welcomed its first client, the 106.7 metre Oceanco Black Pearl.
The new full-service shipyard is the result of a joint venture between Porto Montenegro and Drydocks World Dubai and is built on the former Bijela shipyard site in the Bay of Kotor.
Facilities include a 180 metre long 34 metre wide floating dock, and a 720-tonne travel hoist, which is the largest of its kind in the region. The space also plays host to 8,000 square metres of warehouses and workshops and 100,000 square metres of hard-standing space. In 2023, the shipyard is also expected to take delivery of a 6,000-tonne Syncrolift.
In a statement, the chairman of Adriatic42, Captain Rado Antolović, said: “The opening of this unique facility for the refit and maintenance of megayachts, marks the beginning of a new era of sustainable and modern shipbuilding globally. It is also a great boon for the maritime and yachting sectors in Montenegro, with more than €40 million invested in the project to date, including for the acquisition of the state-of-the-art infrastructure and investments in sustainable technologies.“
President of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović, who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony said: “Starting from today, with the service provided by Adriatic42, Montenegro presents itself to the world as a well-rounded facility for nautical tourism that, in addition to moorings, offers to yacht owners and their crews quality repairs, relieving them of the need to temporarily move from Montenegrin marinas every year."
The former Bijela shipyard, nearly 100 years old, was the largest ship repair yard in the Southern Adriatic, and Adriatic42 hopes to extend the site's maritime heritage.