Azerbaijan's state energy company SOCAR plans to commission a new shipyard in the Garadagh district of Baku in September 2013, SOCAR head Rovnag Abdullayev told journalists on July 10.

"Currently active work is being done in order to time the opening of the new shipyard to the commissioning of the first small ship constructed at this enterprise," Abdullayev said.

According to him, besides SOCAR, BP and the Azerbaijan State Caspian Shipping Company have placed orders for the construction of vessels at the shipyard. Moreover, there are orders for the construction of military ships.

"Currently work is underway for the development of a perspective activity plan of the shipyard slated for 10 years," the SOCAR president added.

Earlier head of the Azerbaijan State Caspian Shipping Company Aydin Bashirov said that the company has placed an order for the construction of ten ships at the new shipyard.

SOCAR's new shipyard will meet the need for ships not only in Azerbaijan but also in the entire basin of the Caspian Sea.

The area of the new shipyard will be 880,000 square meters, while the closed production area -- 75,000 square meters and the length of berths 1,300 meters. Investment in the construction of the plant amounts to $450 million.

The plant's production capacity is 25,000 tons of steel per year. It will have capacity to produce annually four tankers with deadweight of 15,000 tons or two tankers with deadweight of 70,000 tons. Also, the plant is to produce four maintenance and towing vessels per year as well as provide repair for 80 to 100 vessels.