Tandanor Recovers Syncrolift Operability for Deeper Draft Vessels

The Argentine shipyard Tandanor completed the first comprehensive intervention on the Syncrolift since its commissioning in 1979. The work restores the operational capacity of the largest ship elevator in the region and the second largest in the Americas, eliminating a draft restriction accumulated over decades.

The Syncrolift - 184 meters long by 32.9 meters wide - allows vessels of up to 15,000 tons to be lifted and moved by rails to four independent berths. This mechanism makes it possible to work on several ships simultaneously and free up the platform for new operations.

Historically, the accumulation of sediments under the structure reduced the useful depth to 4.10 meters, limiting the system's availability to only 10% annually (about 36 days) and making maneuvers dependent on extraordinary high tides of the Río de la Plata.

To reverse this scenario, without interrupting workshop activity, the technical solution and project tender were designed in 2025. The works, which began in January 2026, involved the extraction of more than 23,000 cubic meters of mud.

Thanks to this dredging, the permissible draft increased to 5.80 meters, and operational availability jumped to 95%. Upon completion of the work, 99.5% availability and a 6.20-meter draft are expected to be achieved.

"This work allows vessels that, due to their draft, had restricted access to operate again in Tandanor and strengthens our competitive position in the regional and international naval market. Each new opportunity for the shipyard also has an impact that transcends our facilities: it reaches our more than 400 workers and mobilizes an extensive value chain linked to the naval industry," affirmed the president of Tandanor, Tomás Etcheverry.