Ship repair facility at Ile Perseverance in the offing   By Patrick Joubert |11 February 2022

As from next week, the Seychelles Ports Authority (SPA) will be sending letters of interest to locals and foreigners who would be interested in investing in a ship repair facility on Ile Perseverance.

It was the Minister for Transport, Antony Derjacques, who made the statement during a visit yesterday morning at the site where the project is to take place.

Also present were the chief executive of SPA, Ronny Brutus; the chief executive of the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA), Nichol Elizabeth; the consultant in the Ministry of Lands and Housing, Patrick Lablache; and the deputy commander of the Seychelles Coast Guard, Lieutenant Colonel David Arrisol, among other affiliated representatives.

The ship repair facility, in the form of a new modular floating dry dock (self-docking dry dock), built to the highest environmental standards, was approved by cabinet on October 6, 2021. 

It will be able to accommodate vessels of up to 5000 tonnes.

It is part of the government’s strategic plan to improve services being offered in Port Victoria and to contribute both economically and socially to the country.

The dry dock will be situated at a distance next to the Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG), overlooking the fishing port at Ile du Port.

It will cater for three vessels at any one time for repairs.

One vessel will, through self driven, be poised in the middle by submerging and re-submerging through pumping of water in and out.

The other two vessels will be docked on each side of the dry dock.

Minister Derjacques stated that our country has already set up the necessary infrastructure to promote the development of the port sector, especially the fishing industry, on a commercial and industrial basis.

He further stated that among the infrastructure already in place to promote the development of the port sector industry include Port Victoria, other fishing ports, the Indian Ocean Tuna canning factory (IOT), facilities in relation to fish value addition and more recently the new Central Common Cold Store (CCCS) with its 10,000 tonnes storage capacity.

In addition, he said that the country is developing the Seychelles International Airport to create facilities to maintain the export potential of fish products and is also extending Port Victoria to facilitate the cargo and fishing industry, among other fishing projects being undertaken by SFA.

Minister Derjacques said that with the modular self floating dry dock in place, it will close the gap in services being offered in Port Victoria whereby fishing vessels fishing in our waters, including small cruise ships, super yachts and other small sized vessels, will no longer have to go to countries in the region for repairs and other services.

He noted that the installation of the dry dock will make the country a fishing hub and that will attract more vessels and businesses to Port Victoria.

He also noted that the dry dock will also create jobs including other small industries such as mechanical and electrical, that would surround it.

According to Mr Lablache, apart from the 1200 square kilometres of land being allocated for inland administrative facilities, the project will require for a further reclamation of 2000 square kilometres in the water basin to facilitate for the dry dock and passage way for vessels to come in for repair.

He said that the location at Ile Perseverance has been seen ideal for the project due to available sea depth of 16 metres required for vessels to manoeuver and furthermore the sea in the area is always calm.

Being close to SGC will provide security and for containment of any oil spills that may happen in the bay as the latter also has the mandate, along with other stakeholders, to manage oil spills.

Mr Lablache stated that the floating dry docks on the market are equipped with systems that contain and treat waste products and the authority will ensure that it is a similar one that will be commissioned here.

The whole project, including the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), will be entirely taken up by the award developer. SPA will be the landlord.

The accompanying photos show the ministerial delegation during the site visit yesterday.

Photos by Patrick Joubert