Albwardy Damen in Pact with Heila Cranes

UAE-based Albwardy Damen has signed a service agreement with the provider of heavy-duty marine cranes Heila Cranes. Many of the vessels that Damen builds and maintains are fitted with cranes manufactured by the Italian company.

The Dutch shipbuilding group said in a press release that the new service agreement between the two companies will enable Albwardy Damen to ensure that the Heila cranes on board its customers’ vessels operating in the region are guaranteed top quality, through-life support and customer service.

"This premium level of support will be available both for the yard’s newbuilds and third-party vessels when they visit the Albwardy Damen facilities for maintenance and repair," it said.

The recent launch of Heila Cranes Middle East in Dubai will also contribute to the enhanced service provision. There, alongside an office and support centre, there will also be based an experienced electrical & automation crane specialist permanently on call, providing immediate support across the region.

“Heila provides a high level of service and is a solid company with a good reputation in the maritime and offshore markets,” commented Marcel van de Kreke, operations director at Albwardy Damen Sharjah. “The agreement covers overhauls, maintenance, repairs, inspections, technical reporting, advice and the supply of spare parts. This agreement will enable us to give our customers with Heila equipment the best possible service with a long-term perspective.”

Heila Cranes supplies standard and custom-built marine and offshore cranes with a capacity of up to 4,500 tonne metres. These can be operated hydraulically, electronically or by remote control. They can be found on a wide variety of vessels and installations, ranging from dredgers, naval ships and anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels to drilling and production platforms, and floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels.

Albwardy Damen is a joint venture between Albwardy Investment of Dubai and the Netherlands-headquartered Damen Shipyards Group. With over 40 years of presence in the UAE, it is one of the leading shipyards in the Middle East with facilities in Dubai, Fujairah and Sharjah as well as Sohar and Salalah in Oman.

Albwardy Damen repairs over 400 vessels of all sizes every year, ranging from tugs to VLCCs. Over the eleven years since the joint venture began, workboats, dredgers, fast crew suppliers, tugs and other vessels from the Damen portfolio have been delivered to local and ship owners supporting the regional oil & gas industry and other international maritime sectors.