His Excellency, Vice Admiral Sir David Steel, pays a visit to the historic dry dock facility.
18 October 2022 – The Governor of Gibraltar, His Excellency Vice Admiral Sir David Steel, paid a visit to Gibdock, the historic dry dock facility in Gibraltar today. The visit took place to mark the acquisition of the shipyard by The Balaena Group, which incorporates not only Gibdock, but Balaena Offshore Utilities.
Gibdock, declared the best geographically placed shipyard in Europe, was acquired by The Balaena Group in May 2022 with the intention of not only improving the sustainability of the yard but also to use the expertise and facilities at Gibdock to manufacture and operate Balaena Offshore Utilities’ Island Utility Platforms.
The Platforms are Balaena’s unique offering for island and coastal communities globally, giving them much needed solutions for a fresh water supply, sewage treatment and energy from a renewable source.
Bringing the build of these platforms to Gibdock will not only bring more jobs to the peninsula but will firmly put Gibraltar on the global stage for visiting Governments who are keen to become more sustainable and to provide greener utilities for their nations.
His Excellency, a retired Royal Naval officer who served as Second Sea Lord, assumed office in June 2020. This was His Excellency’s first visit to Gibdock, where he was given a tour of the yard and time with The Balaena Groups’ owner and Gibdock’s management team.
Gibdock, which has over 200 employees, operates the best ship repair and conversion facilities in the world from its key geographical location at the entrance to the Mediterranean. It continues to deliver quality products in a safe manner, on a timely basis, whilst building long term partnerships with their clients drawing on their rich heritage of marine engineering skills.
Simon Gillett, Owner of The Balaena Group said “Gibdock is a great business and a great employer for Gibraltar. We want to continue doing what they have always done, but better, in a more environmentally friendly and neighbourly way. To have His Excellency visit, and be able to share our vision with him, and the plans for Balaena Offshore Utilities, is a great honour for me personally, and for Gibdock and Balaena.”
