The new overhaul shipyard for mega and super yachts in Bijela has started operations

The impressive 108 meter long superyacht "Black Pearl" is the first ship to be lifted from the sea on the floating dock of the new overhaul shipyard for mega and super yachts Adriatic 42 in Bijela.

An ultra-luxury steel-aluminum three-masted sailboat of 2.864 gross tons, whose home port is the Porto Montenegro marina in Tivat, was brought into the dock today with the assistance of the tugboat company "Boka Pilot & Tug Service" from Bijela, which does such work for Adriatic 42.

With that, the new repair and shipyard complex in Bijela, which is behind the consortium of the shipbuilding corporation DryDocks World Dubai from Dubai and Tivat's Adriatic Marinas - Porto Montenegro, has practically started operating.

The official opening ceremony of the new shipyard will be held on October 28.

This was confirmed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Adriatic 42 and CEO of DryDocks World Dubai, Rade Antolović.

"Thanks to the enormous work, investments, dedication and perseverance in the past months, I am pleased to announce that the Adriatic 42 project will be officially opened on October 28. On that day, Montenegro will receive a unique facility for the repair and maintenance of mega yachts, and this will mark the beginning of a new era of development of the yachting industry in this country," said Antolović in an interview with the Mina-business agency.

He added that this will also mean that in Boka Kotorska, one of the safest ports in the world, just a few minutes away from each other, yacht owners will have a prestigious port for superyachts, Porto Montenegro, and a place for their overhaul according to the highest world standards. - Adriatic 42. Antolović announced that, although the project has not been officially opened, they have huge interest from clients and already agreed jobs to be performed in Adriatic 42.

"I can announce that one of the largest yachts in the world is the "Black Pearl", the first one that will be overhauled in our dock. It is a huge wind in the sails for all of us and a confirmation of the revitalization of shipbuilding and overhaul, but now on a modern and innovative way, was badly needed by Montenegro and this part of the Mediterranean," said Antolović.

He said that their goal is to serve 14 superyachts during the first year of operation, and to increase that number to 109 within a period of five years.

"We have high ambitions, because we create the preconditions for each of our clients to receive world-class service. In order to make this possible, through investments of over 40 million euros, we have provided the best infrastructure, such as a new generation floating dock worth several million, 180 meters long, 37 meters wide with a capacity of 10.000 tons, which allows it to accommodate the world's largest yachts," said Antolović.

He added that the dock, as well as numerous other important investments, will provide clients with services such as docking and lifting of ships, works such as sanding, painting and various mechanical repairs.

"We have been developing the international standards that we are bringing to Bijela for years in one of the largest port overhauls in the world, DryDock in Dubai," Antolović said.

He also said that environmental protection will be their priority above all, and that they will not deviate from it.

"As important as it is to us that our clients receive the best overhaul service, it is just as important to us that the entire process follows the highest level of safety and environmental protection. By starting the overhaul in Adriatic 42, we are sending the principle of sandblasting, which has damaged the ecological environment here for years, into the past, and we are replacing it with processes that are exclusively based on water," Antolović announced. He stated that alternative sources of energy will be used, and that the equipment will be completely energy efficient. "We will have specially developed management policies for the protection of health, safety, and the environment and quality, which will be harmonized with national requirements, but also with strict international standards," Antolović said, adding that they are also planning the construction of a special "green" zone and the installation of noise reduction equipment.

Antolović announced that the Adriatic 42 project not only brings the development of the yachting industry, but that it will affect the local community and the economic prosperity of the city, as well as the whole of Montenegro.

"Currently, the project employs over 75 people, and by the end of October that number will increase to 100. Our goal is to employ up to 200 people by next year. These figures best show the direct impact our investment will have on the local community, the creation of new jobs and professional training and education of people for new, modern occupations in the shipbuilding and overhaul industry," he pointed out.

He emphasized that they are working to ensure that numerous local experts from various fields get the opportunity and give their professional contribution.

"We know what kind of tradition the former Shipyard in Bijela had and we want to use all the professional potential to jointly transform this place, return it to its former glory and position it on the map of modern, recognized and reliable locations for overhauling superyachts," said Antolović.

He added that they have already established cooperation with numerous domestic contractors, who will also be part of the project and get their important professional chance.

"We have combined the vast experience of experts from Dubai who help the local team in laying the foundations for business development. We have combined domestic and foreign expertise and this is already bringing results," Antolović assessed.

When it comes to the support of state and local institutions, he announced that it was comprehensive in the previous period, which inevitably influenced the fact that the project could be officially launched this month.

"Our impression is that all important authorities, starting with the President of the State, the Prime Minister, the President of the Municipality of Herceg Novi and numerous other institutions, have recognized how crucial it is to provide full cooperation to the consortium consisting of Adriatic Marinas - Porto Montenegro and DryDocks World Dubai, which through Adriatic 42 bring international yachting expertise to Montenegro," Antolović said.

He added that it is very good that they were recognized at the very beginning as an investment that will be long-term and that will bring great benefits for the economy, but also for the country's image in the yachting world.

"We believe that the support will be equal in all the following stages of the development of this project that await us in the years ahead," concluded Antolović.