The Corellian shipyards were massive starship-building factories built in orbit of the planet Corellia. Thew were part of a huge net of industrial facilities, the Orbital Industrial Zone, that spread across half of Corellia's orbit. The Corellian yards were operated by the Corellian Engineering Corporation. They manufactured starships and starship pieces. The CEC shipyards could produce both civilian and military vessels, from tiny scout pods to massive military dreadnaughts. The Corellian yards were considered to be on par with the shipyards over Fondor and Kuat.
The entirety of the Orbital Industrial Zone, including the shipyards, was overseen by the Corellian Port Authority. Because of their strategic value, the CEC shipyards were patrolled by the Corellian Security Force and the Corellian Defense Force. They defended the yards from sabotage, industrial espionage, or general vandalism.
Corellian shipyards were originally built both in orbit and at the surface of the planet Corellia. Such planetside facilities included the Blastfield Shipyards and the Meridian Complex. However, centuries before the Battle of Yavin, the Corellian government decide to move all Corellia's medium and heavy industries to orbit in order to avoid urban overgrowth and prevent an impending ecological disaster. This decision allowed Corellia to remain largely rural and unpolluted.
The Corellian shipyards provided the bulk of the Republic Navy during the Great Galactic War and the Cold War.
During the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Corellia remained neutral in the war. However, after the Confederacy conquered the neighboring world of Duro, the Corellians prepared themselves for an attack. CorSec forces were put at maximum alert throughout the sector, particularly in the protection of the CEC shipyards.
After the Declaration of a New Order, the Corellian shipyards were taken over by the Galactic Empire, although they remained officially under Corellian control. The Corellian Diktat was forced to accept to control CEC's starship production according to Imperial directives in order to avoid direct control by the Empire. The Corellian Engineering Corporation then produced warships for the Imperial sector fleet. Despite the arrangement concluded between the Empire and the Diktat, squadrons of Imperial starships visited the shipyards on several occasions to protect the Imperial interests, generating protests among Corellian civilians.
Around the time of the Battle of Endor, the Corellian system was defended by 25 Imperial Star Destroyers commanded by Admiral Jaeffis. In the six months since the death of Emperor Palpatine, the Super Star Destroyer Aggressor and its escort of five Star Destroyers, led by Admiral Roek, were recalled from the Inner Rim to protect the Corellian shipyards from the New Republic.
During the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Corellian shipyards were damaged and made mostly inoperative.
The Corellian shipyards were targeted by Galactic Alliance forces during the Second Galactic Civil War.