Damen Shiprepair Brest News

Damen Shipyards Group has recently signed a contract for the delivery of a pontoon to France-based company, Marc SA. The contract is a significant one for Damen, being the 100th order for a pontoon since the company opened its dedicated Pontoons & Barges product department in 2010.The client, is a leading civil works company in Brittany, located in Brest, Roscoff, Cherbourg and Lorient and serves the urban, rural, road, rail, maritime, industrial and environmental sectors. Marc uses pontoons to carry out its scope of work in the maritime arena, which includes harbor and quayside projects.

France-based Damen Shiprepair Brest (DSBr), which focuses on the ship repair and conversion of seagoing and offshore vessels, successfully carried out repairs to the hull of the 266-metre, 138,000m³, LNG Carrier LNG Methane Princess.In order to achieve this in the minimum time it was done while the vessel was both afloat and with the cargo tanks holding either some liquefied gas and gas vapour.The damage, which occurred above the waterline on the aft starboard side, was the result of a collision with a harbor tug while berthing at the Punta Europa LNG Terminal (EG LNG) in Equatorial Guinea. She then proceeded to the Milford Haven (UK)…

Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth has left Damen Shiprepair Brest (DSBr) following a 12-day repair and refit program. She is the most recent addition to the Cunard fleet, having been delivered in 2010.The program was highly intensive with a series of major systems being overhauled or installed. On arrival the ship was placed in Damen Shiprepair Brest’s drydock number 3, one of the largest in Europe at 420 meters, and the relevant manufacturers began immediately on maintenance to her stabilizers…

The 326-meter, 146,000 DWT, cruise ship Norwegian Breakaway arrived in Brest on April 28 for 11 days of scheduled maintenance and refurbishment.The primary objective of the visit was mechanical works on the ship’s two ABB azipods. The DSBr team worked alongside ABB service engineers on both azipods to repair the shaft bearings and replace the slewing seals. These works required the removal of both propellers and took place in very close coordination with the other teams working…

The P&O Cruises Grand-class cruise ship Ventura has completed a two-week docking at Damen Shiprepair Brest. Launched in 2008, this was the first visit of the 290-metre, 116,000 DWT vessel to the yard, where she underwent a regular docking together with a range of maintenance works. Major features of the maintenance program included the installation of two exhaust gas scrubbers, for which Damen Shiprepair Brest (DSBr) designed, manufactured and installed a seachest. While the Ventura was in DSBr’s Drydock number 3, at 420m by 80m the largest of DSBr’s three dry docks, the hull was ultra-high-pressure water blasted and then, along with the superstructure, repainted. Additional works included maintenance of the propulsion systems and stabilizers, plus other minor repairs.

Damen Shiprepair Brest (DSBr) said it has completed a two week maintenance program on the 290-meter, 101,000 GT liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier GDF Suez Point Fortin. In addition to its expertise and facilities, Operator MOL LNG Transport (Europe) Ltd and ENGIE as charterer selected DSBr because it is one of the first European yards capable of performing modifications works on board LNG carriers when ‘gassed-up’, according to DSBr. The works took place in the second half of May and included a full…

Damen Shiprepair Brest (DSBr) has completed a renewal survey maintenance program on the 290-meter LNG carrier Gaselys. Co-owned by NYK Line of Japan and ENGIE (formerly GDF SUEZ), operated by Gazocean and chartered by ENGIE, the 10-year old vessel came into DSBr for a regular periodical docking that included a full schedule of works. When she was launched in 2007 the Gaselys was, along with her sister ship the Provalys, the largest LNG carrier ever built. Today they are still among the largest in operation anywhere in the world.

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) has recently completed works in Vlissingen and Brest on two major vessels in the fleet of dredging and marine construction specialist Jan de Nul Group. One of these is the Vole au vent, a 140-meter jack-up vessel built specifically for the installation of the latest generation of offshore wind turbines. The other is the trailing suction hopper dredger Leiv Eiriksson. Both vessels are among the largest in their classes, anywhere in the world.

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV), part of Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC), has said farewell to Marco Polo, the 800 passenger cruise ship owned by Global Maritime and operated by Cruise & Maritime Voyages. Launched in 1964 as the Aleksandr Pushkin, she was in for her 10th special survey and general maintenance and refurbishment. The project took around five weeks to complete. An elegant vessel whose design harks back to an earlier era, the Marco Polo had a full schedule of works during her time at DSV.

On Saturday 17 October, the 329-metre, 156,000 tonne cruise ship Norwegian Epic departed Damen Shiprepair Brest (DSBr), for Southampton. She cast off a day early after completing a 3 week maintenance and refit programme ahead of schedule.

On Sunday, 27 September, Norwegian Cruise Line’scruise vessel,Norwegian Epic, entered Damen Shiprepair Brest for a scheduled refit and maintenance programme. The vessel will remain in Brest’s largest drydockuntil18 October. The yard, besides executing the repair and maintenance works, provides all necessary logistic services to Norwegian Cruise Line’sarranged contractors. “This isn’t just another mega-class cruise ship”, explains Robert Diepenbroek, Managing Director at Damen Shiprepair Brest.Norwegian Epic is cruising reimagined with innovations never before seen at sea. Being today’s fifth largest cruise vessel, the ship is a floating hotel with all related facilities, including bars, restaurants, theatres, casinos, swimming pools, etc.

The Royal Moroccan Navy’s frigate Tarik BenZiyad has returned to the Damen Shipyards Group for its first routine drydocking after three years of operation. The SIGMA multi-mission frigate 10513, built at Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS) in the Netherlands, arrived at Damen Shiprepair Brest in France on October 24 for a maintenance program of approximately 30 days. “As the original equipment manufacturer, we’re very proud to welcome back the Royal Moroccan Navy to Damen for Tarik Ben Ziyad’s first scheduled docking outside the warranty period…

Damen Shiprepair Brest (France) says it has received its 10th LNG carrier repair order from GDF SUEZ in-house technical vessel manager Gazocean. The vessel will undergo extensive maintenance works in the yard. Damen explain that the 73,646 cu.m capacity vessel was delivered under the name of Gaz De France Energy in 2006 at Chantiers de L’Atlantique in St.Nazaire and was renamed in 2009. The vessel was the first vessel fitted with a Dual Fuel Diesel Electric Propulsion which is now a new standard of the LNG shipping industry and has a GTT CS1 type LNG containment system. The vessel will stay in the yard for approximately 55 days of which 20 days in dry-dock.

Damen Shiprepair Brest (France) received a booking for the drydocking and repairs of two shuttle tankers managed by Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers A/S. The 88,109 GRT sister vessels Karen Knutsen and Sallie Knutsen expect to arrive end February and Middle of March respectively. Damen Brest’s Managing Director Jos Goris commented, “We are very pleased with the order from Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers. Shuttle tankers are delicate vessels and require a high level of operational reliability hence the selection criteria of a dry-docking will always be carefully considered by owners and operators. Mr.

In October 2012 Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam (DSR) won the contract for installing the first Becker Twisted Fin on seven container vessels of the fleet of Hamburg (Germany) based liner shipping company Hamburg Süd. To complete the project in time, the vessels were routed in such a way that they could each be dry-docked for a maximum of 6 days every consecutive week. All ships have now been re-delivered. The first vessel starting the cycle, MV Santa Catharina, was expected the December 30, 2012. However, this vessel was operationally delayed, which reduced the available time with three days.

Damen Shiprepair Brest (France) was contracted for the regular dry docking and special survey for two CMA CGM container vessels: Fort St. Marie and Fort St. Louis. Furthermore, an option for Fort St. Pierre and Fort St. Georges has been discussed. Jos Goris, managing director of Damen Shiprepair Brest, said, “Damen Shiprepair Brest is fully aware of the operational challenges the container shipping companies are currently facing. Together with CMA CGM we have worked out a planning which provides for the shortest possible dry docking time…

Since acquiring Sobrena, Damen Shiprepair Brest has serviced 50 vessels from leading shipowners and managers. The yard’s work portfolio includes a large number of Afra/Suezmax tankers and LNG carriers. The latest project concerns the Höegh LNG owned and MOL LNG Transport managed 123,800M3 LNG LIBRA, which is presently at the yard. Jos Goris, Managing Director of Damen Shiprepair Brest, said, “We are proud of this achievement and would like to thank all our clients who have demonstrated confidence in our ability to perform by bringing their vessels to our yard.

Damen Shiprepair Brest (France) returned the Ultra Large Crude Carrier (ULCC) TI Europe to its owners EURONAV (Belgium) after completing a full technical survey and service. The sheer size of the vessel represents a considerable challenge in itself, he says, with the shipyard applying more than 46,000 square meters of silicon paint. However, the yard can comfortably accommodate such vessels given that its largest drydock, at 420 x 80 meters, is one of the biggest in Europe. damen.com

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion has developed a new innovative product, the Quick Docking/Fuel Saving package. This offers owners a fast and low-cost additional docking with the sole aim of reducing fuel consumption in between the five-year statutory survey period. The first vessel booked under the new concept has docked at Damen Shiprepair Brest (France). It is the capesize bulker Castillo De Catoira operated by Spanish company Empresa Naviera Elcano. Damen expects to bring more of its vessels to its shiprepair yards.

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion developed a new product, the Quick Docking/Fuel Saving package, offering owners a fast and low-cost additional docking with the sole aim of reducing fuel consumption in between the five-year statutory survey period. The first vessel booked under the new concept has docked at Damen Shiprepair Brest (France). It is the capesize bulker Castillo De Catoira operated by Spanish company Empresa Naviera Elcano. Damen expects to bring more of its vessels to its shiprepair yards.

Damen Shiprepair Brest (France) received her seventh LNG booking for the drydocking, maintenance and repair of the LNG carrier BachirChihan. The Hyproc Shipping owned and managed vessel will arrive November 25. The work scope on the BachirChihaniis extensive and reaches close to 30,000 man-hours. The vessel is expected to stay close to a month in drydock nr 3. damen.com

Damen Shiprepair Brest (France) received certification from Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) for aligning its quality and safety management systems with internationally recognized standards. A certificate of approval for the ISO 9001:2008, management standards was presented by LRQA France at the shipyard premises on 26 November 2013. Damen Brest’sManaging Director Jos Goris commented, “We are proud to be awarded with the certificate, in particular since we started this process 11 months ago and only a couple of months after the shiprepair activities started in second quarter of 2012.

As of this week, Damen Shipyards Group is the new owner of French shiprepair yard Arno Dunkerque, the only operator for ship repair and conversion in the 3rd largest French port, Dunkirk. The yard will continue its ship repair and conversion services. Furthermore, its personnel and management will remain in place, guaranteeing a seamless transition of the yard into the Damen Shipyards Group, which currently consists of more than 45 shipyards, repair & conversion yards and related companies.