On Thursday afternoon, MT 'CUMHURIYET' , left Palumbo Malta Shipyards after a successful assignment carried out at the docks.

MT 'CUMHURIYET'  is a large Oil Product Tanker registered in Turkey considered as a Capesize tanker with a deadweight (DWT) of 164,859T and is just under the biggest ranges of vessels that exists, that is VLCCs and ULCCs. MT 'CUMHURIYET' was built in 2001 with a Gross Tonnage of 84,476T and  is 274.18m long and has 50.04m as beam. Owned and managed by one of the biggest Turkish maritime companies Messers DITAS DENIZ  from Istanbul, Turkey, MT 'CUMHURIYET'  can be considered as the first vessel from this company to ever dry-dock in Malta. This vessel can now due to the deepening of the Suez Canal from 18 m  to 20 m - 7 years ago permits these type of vessels to pass through it, in turns make it more possible that such vessels trade more frequently in the Mediterranean and hence be more possible to dock in same area. Due to their large dimensions and deep draughts, capesize ships are suitable to serve only large ports with deep water terminals in the world.

Palumbo Malta Shipyard carried out a lot of repairs which included 10 days in dry-dock with substantial ship side steel repairs, all underwater  sea valves, propulsion engineering works which included the removal of the Propeller and withdrawal of the tail-shaft, extensive hull treatment and resultant painting of all the vessel and also extensive engineering repairs on the forward windlass and mooring winches. The vessel departed as planned and is back to serve on her trading route.

The timely professional service given augurs well for the future whereby more capsize ships are expected to seek services in Malta.