Vroon Group News

Luxembourg-based dredging and offshore contractor Jan De Nul Group named its newest offshore installation vessel Taillevent in the Belgian port of Ostend.Miss Pauline Stassijns, granddaughter of Director Dirk De Nul, baptised the vessel and wished her success and a safe journey. The De Nul family, employees and their guests attended the christening.Jan De Nul Group acquired this offshore installation vessel, at that time MPI Discovery, from the Dutch company Vroon Group on 18 July 2018.The 2011 built Taillevent is designed specifically for the transport and installation of offshore wind turbines and their foundations. It is also perfectly suited to other offshore sectors, such as the oil and gas industry.

Damen Verolme Rotterdam (DVR)  completed a refit project on the MPI Enterprise, a 120-metre, self-elevating, DP2, wind turbine installation vessel owned and operated by MPI Offshore, part of the Vroon Group. The works included the installation of spudcans on her four-legged jacking system, which can elevate the vessel at rate of one metre per minute in water depths up to 45 metres. Acquired by Damen Shipyards Group in June 2017, DVR is one of the largest refit and repair yards in Western Europe, capable of accommodating any seagoing vessel or floating offshore unit. Damen Shiprepair & Conversion has worked with MPI Offshore in the past.

Coco Vroon is stepping down as CEO of Netherlands based shipowner Vroon Group, after having settled a credit agreement with the company's lenders. "Now that agreement has been reached with our Lenders in respect of the main terms of the financial-restructuring plans of Vroon Group, after long deliberation Coco Vroon has decided to step down as Managing Director of the Company," said a statement from the company. As shareholder, the new phase being entered by the Company affords him the opportunity to devote more time to the long-term development of the Company. Coco will leave his position per end-April 2018. He will remain closely involved and aims to continue creating value for the Group.

VOS Start, Vroon BV’s first DP2, subsea-support, walk-to-work (W2W) vessel has departed Damen Shiprepair Oranjewerf following the installation of a first of its kind motion-compensated gangway system by Barge Master and Bosch Rexroth, the extended installation of a Kongsberg reference system (including a ‘windfarm module’), and an active heave-compensated crane from SMST. The 80m VOS Start arrived at Oranjewerf on June 1 from her build yard in China, staying for eight weeks in the yard to also undergo various other upgrades and preparations for her first project…

Every day migrants and refugees are at risk of drowning as they make the perilous journey to Europe, a voyage which will only become riskier as winter approaches. But thanks to the work of the charity, Save the Children, together with ship owner Vroon and RINA Services, a specifically dedicated rescue ship has been classified to rescue those that run into difficulty when crossing the Mediterranean. In 2016 Save the Children started a project aiming to use a vessel from the Dutch ship owner Vroon to save the lives of men…

Vroon has  announced that walk-to-work vessel VOS Start is to be equipped with the brand-new Barge Master Gangway. This unique combination will enable safe and efficient transfer of personnel and cargo. The Barge Master Gangway incorporates an access tower with elevator, providing stepless access. The adjustable pedestal provides full flexibility in landing heights. With the participation of Bosch Rexroth in the Barge Master team, the highest quality and safety standards are guaranteed. This unrivalled, next-generation walk-to-work vessel will be available to the offshore industry in Q2 2017.

Vroon Group, an international shipping company, has announced on-target progress in the implementation of Seanique, SOFTimpact’s Maritime Software Solution based on Microsoft Dynamics AX, catering for the Vroon Group’s operations in crewing and payroll across the entire fleet. The move contributes to Vroon’s aim for one “future-proof” global system to be used by all Group companies, manning and recruitment agencies, vessels and related stakeholder. Seanique was selected as the ideal product because of its comprehensive functionality and perfect fit to Vroon’s pre-existing ERP platform, Microsoft Dynamics AX, in use for Finance, Procurement, CRM and HRM purposes.

Electrical system integrator Alewijnse Marine Systems is celebrating the first anniversary of delivering electrical services and maintenance to vessels at Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque. Twelve months after it began work there, the results are well above expectations with 19 contracts fulfilled for 10 vessels, representing a strong start, the company reports. The delivery of electrical services and maintenance to vessels at Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque started in April 2014 with the MPI Resolution maintenance project, a turbine installation vessel.

SeaRoc charter 'MPI Adventure' for Narec's offshore anemometry hub (NOAH) installation for windfarm site weather appraisal. MPI Adventure is a dedicated vessel to transport, lift and install wind turbines and their foundations; delivered in March 2011 (Qidong, China) she is the second of MPI's three jack up vessels owned by MPI, part of the Vroon Group. SeaRoc was recently awarded the contract to complete the mast installation, 3 nautical miles off the coast of Blyth, consisting of a 635t tripod foundation…

Blount Boats, Inc. has been appointed by South Boats Special Projects, Ltd., based at Cowes on the Isle of Wight, England, to be the exclusive shipyard to manufacture U.S. flagged aluminum catamarans of South Boats designs for the U.S. wind farm industry. Blount Boats operates a shipyard in Warren, Rhode Island. South Boats is recognized as a pioneer in designing and manufacturing wind farm service vessels. Their shipyard has built 45 vessels in five classes, from 15M – 30 meters, representing a 50% market share in European wind farms that are serviced by 13 operators, including Turbine Transfers Ltd. (Holyhead Towing Company), Iceni Marine Services Ltd., Northern Offshore Services AB, MPI Workboats, Ltd. (Vroon Group BV), Maritime Craft Services and MTS Group.

Three crewmembers died after an accident aboard a rescue vessel on the North Sea, the boat's owners said Sunday. The accident is under investigation by Britain’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch. The men, two Britons and a Pole, were working aboard the Viking Islay when the accident occurred, Vroon Offshore Services Ltd. said in a statement. The Viking Islay, which was supporting operations at a rig in BP PLC's Amethyst Field in the North Sea, has now returned to port. Vroon Offshore Chief Executive Graham Philip said it was still unclear exactly what happened. Vroon Offshore, part of the Vroon Group BV, provides of emergency response services to the offshore oil and gas industry. (Source: AP)