With the launch of “Donn’Anna,” a state-of-the-art 143-meter floating dock, Piloda Shipyard marks a major expansion of its capabilities. Designed to serve commercial, private, and public shipowners — and meet the rising needs of the military sector — this infrastructure milestone redefines the landscape of ship refit in the Mediterranean.
With the commissioning of the “Donn’Anna” floating dock, Piloda Shipyard takes a decisive step toward transforming the Port of Naples into a strategic hub for the refit of vessels between 130 and 143 meters — a segment previously underserved in the Mediterranean.
Measuring 143 meters in length, 30 meters in width, and with a lifting capacity of up to 6,000 tons, the new dock marks a major infrastructure upgrade for the entire Italian shipyard industry.
Technology, sustainability and autonomy for next-generation refit
“Donn’Anna” has been engineered to deliver maximum operational autonomy, high technical performance, and reduced environmental impact. Key features include:
Independent onboard systems: Two rail-mounted cranes (5 tons each), six capstans (5 tons), two 320 kW generators, compressed air and fully autonomous electrical and lighting systems, as well as integrated tanks for collecting bilge and hull-wash water.
Integrated digital system: Proprietary software for real-time management of docking plans and ballast, enabling simultaneous operations under safe conditions, minimizing vessel downtime, and optimizing operational costs.
Advanced environmental management: An internal, autonomous system capable of containing and discharging up to 50,000 liters of bilge water, eliminating the need for external barges and significantly reducing the environmental footprint.
With these features, the Donn’Anna dock aligns with the highest international standards and positions Naples as a key hub for medium-to-large vessel maintenance in the Mediterranean.
