Renewal of the concession of the Grande Forme of La Ciotat
La Ciotat Shipyards, the local public company in charge of the Mediterranean port's refit and shipbuilding area, published a new call for projects for the operation of the Grande Forme on February 4, 2019.
The current public domain occupation agreement for the La Ciotat dry dock is coming to an end this year. Awarded in June 2016 to the German shipyard Blohm+Voss at the end of a procedure that had tense the hexagonal yacht refit shipyards, historical actors of the Ciotadian site, the use of the large form has changed hands at the whim of successive buyouts and alliances. It is now in the hands of the Spanish yacht refit yard MB92.
The notice of competition published on 4 February provides for a new concession for a maximum period of 35 months. The assets concerned consist mainly of the large 200-meter dry dock for yachts of more than 80 meters in length, but also two covered industrial halls, offices and adjacent platforms, for a total surface area of approximately 38,000 square meters. A royalty equal to 3% of the turnover with a minimum floor of 1.2 Meuros is provided for in the contract.
A competitor for the boat elevator
While the risk of a commercial war between the neighboring sites of Marseille and La Ciotat is feared by the profession, the choice of the new concessionaire will be important for the large yacht industry in the Mediterranean. MB92, the current concessionaire, has already been awarded the contract for the new 4,000-ton boat elevator, which is expected to be delivered in 2022, which corresponds to the end of the new lease for the Grandes Ecoles. Monaco Marine, for its part, should benefit from a 6,000 T lifting device for megayachts in Marseille. Will the market see the arrival of a new player in this already busy market?
