A new floating dry dock, commissioned by Western Australia’s land and infrastructure developer LandCorp, is to become operational at the Australian Marine Complex (AMC) at Henderson, 23 kilometres south of Perth, in late 2009 and is expected to inject billions into the state’s economy.

Built by WA shipbuilder, Strategic Marine, the floating dock features the latest technology including a newly developed digital memory to give it a fully automated capability.

Strategic Marine’s Marketing Manager Jamie Anderson said the 99m long floating dock utilises a ballast system where ballast compartments throughout the dock are filled with water, or ballast, causing it to sink 15.7m below the water level.

“The vessel can then be gently guided onto the dock and the ballast removed to lift the vessel out of the water. Unlike some other dry dock facilities, the ballast system is fully automated,” Jamie said.

Fantech’s WA branch Systemaire, supplied 12, 560mm adjustable pitch axial flow fans to pump air into the pontoons. The increasing air pressure evacuates the water from the ballast tanks and the increased buoyancy causes the dock to rise.