Located in Port Louis, Mauritius’s capital, CNOI Shipyard (Chantier Naval de l'Ocean Indien) is one of the leading ship-repair and ship-building yards in the Indian Ocean. Mauritius is situated at a strategic point, whereby the island figures on the route of various merchant navies. The island is close to significant fishing grounds as it lies in the middle of the Indian Ocean and the Antarctic Ocean.
Born in 2001 with 25 employees, the CNOI, with the support of the IBL Group, has continued to develop to become today a leader in ship repair and construction in the Indian Ocean. Indeed, IBL is one of the largest Mauritian groups employing more than 26,000 people. Through the IBL group, the CNOI is at the heart of a global integration strategy around SeaFood, ranging from activities related to boats, fishing, storage and processing of fish and its co-products.
CNOI today :
56000m2 area
For several years, CNOI has been working on a major expansion project. This began in 2019 with the acquisition of more than one additional hectare, increasing the working area from 4.5 to 5.6 hectares. A reorganization is therefore underway with the creation of new workshops:
- new construction workshop of 1300m2
- Heavy mechanical workshop of 410m2
- electrical/refrigeration workshop of 380m2
- workshop and storage insulation of 200m2
A new sheet metal yard will also be built, the warehouses and storage areas will be enlarged, new offices will be built for the administrative staff as well as for the ship owners.
This project will culminate in the acquisition of the world's largest webbing elevator. It is in the second quarter of the year 2020 that the CNOI placed an order with the Italian company CIMOLAI for a 1500t elevator. This new lifting tool will replace the current synchrolift and will allow up to 5 ships to be dry-docked simultaneously on the new berth.
CNOI is the "one-stop shop" for ship repair in the Indian Ocean. Ship owners who come to the shipyard to make their technical calls benefit from the advantages offered by Mauritius: supplies, air and sea services and the facilities of the "seafood hub".
The shipyard is used to accommodate tuna purse seiners with a storage capacity between 700 and 2200 tons and a length varying between 70 and 115 meters.
Several years ago, the CNOI signed a contract with the French Navy for the maintenance and repair of its frigates based in Reunion Island.
At the end of 2018, the CNOI celebrated 400th boat passaging in its dry dock since its creation. With its dry dock as well as its elevator that can dry-dock boats up to 1000 tons, the CNOI has intervened on many types of boats:
New ship building represents a significant part of the activity on the shipyard. Thanks to international quality standards and working in accordance with the requirements of ship classification societies (Bureau Veritas, APAVE...), the CNOI's clients are mainly French (based in Reunion Island and Mayotte), Madagascan, Australian and Mauritian.
Since its creation, 31 ships have left the workshops of the CNOI :
Two other achievements have marked the history of the CNOI