Ha Long News

Shipbuilder Damen and Windcat, part of maritime group CMB.TECH, have launched the Windcat Amsterdam, marking the arrival of the first Elevation series commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) in European waters.The vessel was developed jointly by the two companies and constructed at Damen’s Ha Long Shipyard in Vietnam. It is designed to support construction, commissioning and maintenance activities across offshore energy projects.Windcat Amsterdam can accommodate up to 120 personnel and will serve as a floating base for offshore operations…

On November 25, 2025, at the Offshore Energy Conference in Amsterdam, Windcat signed a contract with Damen Shipyards Group for a new Multi-Purpose Accommodation Support Vessel (MP-ASV), with the option of five additional vessels of this type. To be known as the Innovation Series, the vessels will combine a large open deck with a subsea crane with fuel efficient operations and comfortable, high-quality accommodation for personnel working in the offshore energy sector for extended periods.

Windcat, part of CMB.TECH, has signed a contract with Damen Shipyards to build a new Multi-Purpose Accommodation Support Vessel (MP-ASV), with options for five additional units.To be known as the Innovation Series, the new class of offshore support vessels will combine a large open deck, subsea crane capability and fuel-efficient operations with accommodation for personnel working offshore for extended periods.Construction of the first MP-ASV is scheduled to begin in February 2026 at Damen’s Ha Long Shipyard in Vietnam, with delivery planned for 2028.

Offshore crew transfer company Windcat has taken delivery of the Windcat Rotterdam, the first Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV) in its new Elevation Series, developed with Damen Shipyards and CMB.TECH.Built at Ha Long Shipyard in Vietnam, the 89-metre vessel marks a milestone in the company’s expansion from crew transfer operations into larger offshore service capabilities. The Windcat Rotterdam can accommodate up to 120 people and is designed to support construction…

Dozens of rescuers were scrambling in Vietnam on Sunday to trace four missing people after retrieving the bodies of dozens killed when a thunderstorm capsized a boat in the top tourist destination of Halong Bay, authorities said.Despite a calm sea, rescuers, from police and border guards to divers and navy personnel, were battling limited visibility hours before the expected landfall in northern Vietnam of Typhoon Wipha, which is now approaching Hong Kong.The government said rescuers had managed to retrieve the sunken boat and revised down the death toll to 35 from an initial 38 on Saturday…

Damen Shipyards, Windcat and CMB.TECH are celebrating the launch of the first of six commissioning service operation vessels (CSOV).The launch marks the inauguration of Windcat’s Elevation Series of offshore wind farm maintenance and support vessels.Damen is constructing all six CSOVs at Ha Long Shipyard in Vietnam. With this first CSOV in the water, Damen will continue with its outfitting and commissioning operations to prepare the vessel for delivery in Q2 2025.Damen, Windcat…

Offshore personnel transfer company Windcat, part of CMB.TECH, has partnered with Anglo-Eastern for the technical and crewing management of the first out six ordered hydrogen-powered Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs).Windcat has ordered six Elevation Series CSOVs, to be built by Damen Shipyards, with the latest ordered placed in July 2024.Windcat already collaborated with Anglo-Eastern Technical Services (AETS), Anglo-Eastern's technical consulting arm, which was…

Dutch shipbuilder Damen has secured a contract to build the sixth commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) for offshore personnel transfer provider Windcat.The contract marks the further strengthening of the working relationship between Damen, Windcat and CMB.TECH, working on the 'Elevation Series' of CSOVs.Windcat will deploy the ‘Elevation Series’ to provide in-field technical and maintenance support to offshore wind farms for up to 30 days at a time.Damen will build the sixth CSOV at Ha Long Shipyard in Vietnam…

The steel cutting ceremony for the new Construction Service Operation Vessel (CSOV), being built by Damen for Ta San Shang Marine (TSSM), a joint venture between Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Taiwan’s Ta Tong Marine, took place in Vietnam.The steel cutting ceremony for the CSOV was held on January 19, 2024 in Ha Long, just two months after the initial contract was signed.TSSM’s new CSOV will be named TSS Cruiser and will be delivered by Dutch shipbuilder Damen by late 2025.TSS Cruiser will be chartered to contractors supporting the offshore wind farms near the coast of Taiwan…

The first three new Walk-to-Work Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs) built by the Dutch Damen Group for Windcat Offshore will be powered by full propulsion packages from SCHOTTEL. With vessel sizes of 87 metres by 20 metres, each CSOV will come with high-comfort accommodation for 120 passengers, and will provide a large warehouse and deck as well as various recreational areas and a hospital. The vessels will be powered by hydrogen and use a DP-2 control system. The…

Offshore crew transfer company Windcat said Tuesday it had ordered two hydrogen-powered Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (“CSOVs”) from the Dutch company Damen Shipyards, with options for further vessels.The “Elevation Series” CSOVs have been designed by Damen Shipyards in cooperation with Windcat and CMB.TECH. The hydrogen-powered vessels will be 87 m long, 20 m wide, can accommodate 120 people on board. The first delivery is expected in 2025. Financial details were not disclosed.The CSOVs will be built at Ha Long Shipyard…

SAAM Towage has acquired a new tug, the SAAM James Point, that arrived in Vancouver, Canada after completing its loading operation onto the cargo ship BBC Moonstone in Halong Bay, Vietnam.The Damen ASD 2312 design tug was acquired from the Dutch company Damen and built at its Song Cam shipyards in Vietnam. Measuring 23 meters long and 12 meters in beam, it boasts 70-ton bollard pull capacity, Kongsberg azimuth thrusters and two CAT 3512C IMO Tier III main engines, which enables…

The Fire Department of Quang Ninh Province (Canh Sat PCCC) in Northern Vietnam ordehas taken delivery of a new fireboat built by Canadian builder MetalCraft Marine (MCM) for the island of Tuan Chau, in Ha-Long Bay.The Firestorm 36 MkII arrived in Vietnam in December of 2020 and was commissioned in late January of 2021 by MCM staff, with technical assistance and translation provided by technicians from the local Vietnamese MCM agent.The Firestorm 36 MkII pumping system exceeds 3200 GPM at 150 PSI through her Darley ZSM 3000 pump and Elkhart Monitors…

On May 25 in IJmuiden, the Netherlands, Damen Shipyards Group delivered an ASD Tug 2312 named Jupiter to Iskes. The vessel will operate in the ports of IJmuiden and Amsterdam carrying out regular port towage duties and the tug is also capable of handling (crane) barges.Damen signed the contract for the vessel with Iskes in July 2018, at the ITS Marseille and developed the ASD Tug 2312 together with Iskes.Damen sales manager Joost van der Weiden said, “Iskes gave us a lot of valuable input for the design of this new class of tug.

Just down river from Damen Song Cam Shipyard, SAL Heavy Lift’s MV Svenja departed from Halong Bay loaded with 14 vessels. The shipment consists primarily of built-for-stock vessels – Stan Pontoons and Tugs – which will be available for immediate purchase on arrival in Rotterdam in October. MV Svenja’s voyage began in Shanghai on August 30th when she started loading eight Stan Pontoons that were built at Damen Yichang Shipyard, China. This first load includes Stan Pontoons 4113, 4111, 4512, 5211 and 6316.

A Damen RoRo 5612 was launched this month at Halong Shipyard in Vietnam, the shipbuilder announced. The RoRo is one of nine Damen vessels ordered by the Royal Bahamas Defense Force as part of its Sandy Bottom Project. The vessel’s multipurpose capabilities will be put to use by the Defense Force in a range of situations including law enforcement, aids to navigation (ATON), replenishment at sea (RAS), the re-supply to Defense Force bases and the provision of disaster relief throughout the island nation and the wider Caribbean community.

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) has taken delivery of the fourth and final Stan Patrol 4207, named HMBS Rolly Gray. The four Stan Patrol 4207s form part of the six-year Sandy Bottom project. The Stan Patrol 4207s carry a 24-person crew, have a range in excess of 2000 nm and can achieve speeds of 20 knots. As well as their weapons systems each carries two RHIBS for fast interception and boarding. The first 4207, HMBS Arthur Dion Hanna, arrived from the Netherlands in May 2014, followed by HMBS Durward Knowles in July and HMBS Leon Livingstone Smith in September 2014.

On March 20, 2014, Vietnamese Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong, cut the ribbon for the latest addition to Damen Shipyard Group’s portfolio. Damen Song Cam is a new yard, and is one of the largest in the group and represents Damen’s first formal Joint Venture yard in Vietnam. Damen said Song Cam is considered state-of-the-art, bringing a western shipyard designed to meet European health, safety and environmental standards into a Vietnamese environment. The yard will produce around 40 ships per year in phase one.

The 53,000 dwt bulk carrier, 'Thor Breeze' has been delivered by Ha Long shipyard, Quang Ninh Province to Thailand ship-owners Thoresen Co. Mr. Do Van Thau – the Vice General Director of Vinashin and   representatives of the  ship-owner were present at the ceremony. The double-hulled bulk carrier is 190 m in length, 32.26 m in breadth, 17.50 m in depth and with a 12.60 m draught. The main engine is a MAN B&W 6S50 MC-C 9.480 kW rated at 118 rpm to give a speed of 14 knots. The design was by Denmark’s CarlBro’s and construction was under the supervision of DNV Classification.

Recently, two Damen Stan Tugs 2608, the Ibrahim 1 and the Jacques, were shipped from the anchorage of Halong Bay, Haiphong (Vietnam) to Casablanca by the Atlantic Winter, an 800t lifting capacity HLV chartered by Danish Heavy Lift carrier Thorco from Reederei Heino Winter. After having taken the necessary preparations and rigging of the lifting gear, both tugs were nicely loaded into their prepositioned cradles on deck in a two day operation. The tugs were ordered by JL Tug and Fedala Tug.

Vietnam expects to welcome 80,000 visitors to its ports as they arrive by Star Cruise ships from November on. The Star Cruises’ ship Super Star Aquarius  will make 80 trips with tourists from China’s Sanya to Ha Long Bay and Da Nang. Chinese nationals can enter Viet Nam with just passports or laissez-passers. The shipping line will arrange three-day, two-night tours from Sanya to Ha Long Bay and four-day, three-night tours also taking in Da Nang. Saigontourist will welcome visitors aboard three cruise trips in Ha Long Bay and one in Da Nang every week.

On March 20, Vietnamese Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong, carried out the official Vietnamese ribbon-cutting ceremony for the latest addition to Damen Shipyard Group’s portfolio. Damen Song Cam, a brand new yard, is one of the largest in the group and represents Damen’s first formal Joint Venture yard in Vietnam. Damen said Song Cam is considered state-of-the-art, bringing a western shipyard designed to meet European health, safety and environmental standards into a Vietnamese environment. The yard will produce around 40 ships annually in the first phase.

HNA Tourism Cruise & Yacht Management unveils mainland China's largest cruise ship 'Henna'. The Henna previously P&O Cruises' Pacific Sun, has a length of 223m, a width of 31m and 739 rooms for 1,965 passengers, and will make its debut on the Sanya-Ha Long Bay-Da Nang route. Cruise route planning is mainly based on short-term needs and short distance tours, with Sanya and Tianjin serving as home ports and Vietnam and South Korea as destinations. Mr. Zhang Hao, President of HNA Tourism Cruise and Yacht Management…