Hafnarfjörður company plans to scrap 2,000-ton floating dock

Vélsmiðja Orms og Víglundar, a machine workshop in Hafnarfjörður, plans to remove and scrap an old floating dry dock from Hafnarfjörður harbour, mbl.is reports. The operation is considered difficult because the dock could sink during the move.

Managing director Ólafur Jón Ormsson said the dock is old, worn out and has reached the end of its service life.

The dock will first be towed outside the harbour’s breakwater and then into a trench on the company’s adjoining property. It will be cut up there, with the steel shipped abroad for recycling.

An opening will be made in the breakwater next to the company’s property, and a trench will be dug towards Faxaflói Bay. Once the trench is ready, the dock will be released and towed into it during a high spring tide.

“The move must take place at high tide and in good weather, because nothing can go wrong,” Ólafur said.

The company has not set a precise start date. It is mapping out the work and obtaining the necessary permits. The next stage will be to dig the trench, after which the company will have to wait for suitable conditions to tow the dock.

The dock is estimated to contain about 2,000 tonnes of steel. It was built in India in 1944 and rebuilt in 1985.

After the dock has been dismantled, Vélsmiðja Orms og Víglundar plans to build a 5,000-square-metre facility for its future operations at the harbour.

The company’s floating docks form part of its wider ship services. Ólafur said the company provides fishing operators with a full range of services, including repairs and maintenance for ships and boats.