Velden News

Antwerp-based Brabo Group has held a naming ceremony for a Multi Cat 1506 and a Multi Cat 1908 delivered by Damen Shipyards Group. The group’s cleaning division, Brabo Cleaning Company, has secured a contract with Port of Antwerp to maintain a pollution-free environment in the harbor.The naming ceremony took place at Brabo’s headquarters in Antwerp on October 21. The vessels were sponsored by Annick de Ridder and Yasmine Janssen.After securing the contract, Brabo required the vessels quickly.

Late last year, a team of Damen group subsidiaries completed a challenging project to replace one of the twin rudder stocks on P&O Ferries’ Pride of Canterbury. The 180-meter, 30,635 GT RoPax vessel operates on the Dover-Calais crossing, the busiest shipping lane in the world.The nearly 30-year old vessel is equipped with twin Van der Velden BARKE rudder systems engineered and made by Damen Marine Components (DMC). Replacing the stock on the starboard rudder enables the ferry…

Damen Marine Components has won an order to supply three sets of steering and rudder systems for three dual-fueled trailing suction hopper dredgers (TSHDs) currently being built at Keppel Offshore & Marine’s shipyard in Singapore for Van Oord.The vessels will be 138-meters in length and have a hopper capacity of 10,500 cubic meters. They will represent the very latest in sustainable, energy-efficient dredging and are due for delivery in 2021. The third will be handed over the…

Netherlands-based Damen Marine Components (DMC), which specializes in the design and production of rudders, has completed the supply of nine Van der Velden ATLANTIC rudders to COSCO Guangdong Shipyard over a two-and-a-half-year period.The rudders have been installed on nine 1,750 TEU Feeder Container Vessels built for a UK-headquartered ship owning and management company, said DMC.The supply took place in three stages with a first contract signed by DMC and COSCO Guangdong in March 2017 for the immediate supply of three ATLANTIC rudders, plus an option on a further three. In June 2017 those options were exercised and a further three contracted by the shipyard, taking the total to nine.

Netherlands-based Damen Marine Components (DMC) will supply the rudders and steering gear for SunStone Ships' fifth Infinity-class polar expedition cruise ship.The 200-passenger vessel will be built by China Merchants Heavy Industries to an Ulstein design. The contract was awarded once again by propulsion specialist Brunvoll Volda, with whom DMC is working on this ongoing series.DMC will supply two Van der VeldenATLANTIC rudders and two Van der Velden COMMANDER rotary vane steering gear systems. The ATLANTIC is a full-spade rudder with a surface area of eight square meters and steering gear torque of 110 kNm. It delivers excellent course-keeping…

Damen Marine Components (DMC) received acontract to supply the rudders and steering gear for the fifth Infinity-class vessel to be built for SunStone Ships by China Merchants Heavy Industries to an Ulstein design. The contract was awarded by Brunvoll Volda, with whom DMC is working on this ongoing series.DMC will supply two Van der Velden ATLANTIC rudders and two Van der Velden COMMANDER rotary vane steering gear systems. The ATLANTIC is a full-spade rudder with a surface area of eight square meters and steering gear torque of 110 kNm.

Damen Marine Components (DMC), the manufacturer of rudder and steering systems, nozzles, winches and controls, said that it has won a contract to supply a steering system for the trawler Cape Arkona.Currently in build at the Baatbygg yard at Måløy in western Norway for Austral Fisheries, the 1,150m³ vessel is capable of alternating between operating as a freezer trawler, long liner and a potter vessel, all within the period of a single trip.According to a press note, DMC will be supplying the 70-metre vessel with a Van der Velden TIMON flap rudder with heal bearing and a Van der Velden COMMANDER rotary vane steering gear.The slim-profile TIMON flap rudder is a popular and proven system which delivers superior maneuvering and course-keeping performance compared to conventional rudders.

In an important milestone in the build of the Antarctic Supply Research Vessel (ASRV) Nuyina for the Australian government’s Antarctic Division, Damen Marine Components (DMC) has completed the supply and installation of a number of critical systems. These had to be fabricated to exceptionally high standards to cope with the ice that the vessel will encounter in the Southern Ocean. DMC, under its Van der Velden Marine Systems brand, is responsible for the detail engineering and manufacturing of the rudder and steering gear system.The rudders in particular are unique.

Damen Marine Components Netherlands (DMC NL) has laid the first foundations for its new premises in Hardinxveld, the Netherlands. Construction of new buildings reflect growth potential following company merger. With capacity for approximately 80 people, the new buildings will be used for both offices and production purposes. With construction of the new buildings beginning as the first foundation pile was driven into the ground on the site of DMC former head office, the company’s motivations to build new premises were twofold. The first reason was to provide one working space for the greater number of personnel resulting from the merger of DMC and Van der Velden Marine Systems (VDVMS) earlier this year.

Towage and salvage specialist Multraship says it is continuing to grow its fleet with a number of new additions to its varied range of vessels.On July 7, the 453-gt firefighting tug Multratug 31 was christened at Terneuzen in the Netherlands. The 83-ton bollard-pull vessel was delivered in 2017.Multraship managing director, Leendert Muller, said, “We are operating in a highly competitive market, employing all our resources across a wide range of different sectors. Indeed, we have been so busy that even our christenings are a little behindhand.”In April…

Damen Marine Components (DMC) and Van der Velden Marine Systems (VDVMS) announced a merger. As of 1st January the two companies are operating together as Damen Marine Components Netherlands (DMC NL). DMC has been operating ever since the early eighties of the last century in the Damen Shipyards Group, whilst VDVMS has been operating as an independent part of the Damen Shipyards Group’s components division since 2013. So in many ways the merger represents a continuation of a successful working relationship. However, the decision was taken to bring the two companies closer together in order to enhance performance. Steef E.F. Staal, managing director explained the thinking behind the move…

Towage and salvage specialist Multraship has taken delivery of the first of two new Carrousel Rave Tugs (CRT). The vessel, which was commissioned as Multratug 32 and delivered by Netherlands shipyard Damen Maaskant in Stellendam, will operate under lease to Multraship. The contract for the vessels was agreed between Novatug, an arm of the group to which Multraship also belongs, and Damen’s specialist propulsion subsidiary Van der Velden Barkemeyer GmbH in November 2015. German shipyard Theodor Buschmann GmbH in Hamburg assembled the hulls, which were then moved to Stellendam for outfitting.

Green Award Foundation has announced a new incentive provider joining the scheme. A new supporter of the international certification scheme offering discounts on various products and services to Green Award certified inland and ocean-going ships is Van der Velden Marine Systems B.V., one of the market leaders in the supply of high quality steering gear, rudders and hydraulic systems to the entire maritime sector. Green Award drives the highest quality and safety standards in sea and inland shipping through certifying ships that show excellent performance and demonstrate great technical and managerial characteristics. Van der Velden Marine Systems B.V. is headquartered in the Netherlands. Van der Velden rudders and steering gear are renowned for their high quality.

A new Jones Act trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Magdalen, recently launched at Eastern Shipbuilding Group’s (ESG) Allanton facility in Panama City, Fla., is expected to be handed over to its owner, U.S. dredging contractor Weeks Marine, before the end of 2017. This modern TSHD has a length of 108.5 meters, breadth of 24.24 meters and a molded depth of 8.31 meters. The state-of-the-art 356’ twin screw dredger is outfitted with BARKE high-lift flap rudders by Van der Velden Marine Systems (VDVMS) in conjunction with Ships Machinery International, Inc. (SMI).

The gas carrier Coral Medusa, owned and operated by the Anthony Veder Group, has completed her intermediate survey at Damen Shiprepair Harlingen. The intermediate survey was scheduled and executed while the ship was under gas vapors from her last cargo. Damen Shiprepair & Conversion was able to offer three locations, Flushing, Schiedam and Harlingen, that are certified to repair gas tankers which are not gas-free. Harlingen had immediate availability so the Coral Medusa docked on July 19.

The Dutch company Van der Velden Marine Systems (VDVMS) in conjunction with the U.S. representative Ships Machinery International, Inc. (SMI) has announced the launching of a new Jones Act Articulated Tug Barge (ATB) with BARKE high-lift flap rudders for coastwise service in the U.S. This new design vessel brings increased maneuvering to the fleet of ATB vessels plying U.S. coastal waters. Tank tests prove that for this type of vessel this is the most effective rudder design. This ATB will have enhanced maneuverability and excellent course keeping stability.

Imperial Shipping has chosen Van der Velden Marine Systems retractable flanking rudder systems for its push boats. The retractable flanking rudder system is an in-house innovation of Van der Velden Marine Systems (VDVMS). The system brings new efficiency to the inland shipping industry and will first be used in Paraguay. At the request of Dutch shipbuilder Damen, VDVMS developed the system and had it tested independently by the Development Centre for Ship Technology and Transport Systems (DST) in Duisburg (DE). Flanking rudders are often used for inland river tow boats.

Last week contracts were signed at the VEKA head office in Werkendam by Stefhan van den Hil from VEKA Group bv (right) and Leo van Zon, Van der Velden Marine Systems B.V. (left). VEKA Group has signed contracts with Van der Velden Marine Systems for 15 complete maneuvering systems consisting of an integrated alarm and control steering panel, hydraulics, steering gear and high lift rudders. The installations are required for newly designed inland tankers from the “RPG” series as ordered by the Belgium based Plouvier Transport N.V. and her daughter company Intership AG.

In cooperation with R. Allan Ltd. (RAL) and Novatug B.V., Voith participated in the development of a new tug. The Carrousel RAVE Tug (CRT) is characterized by a towing winch on a ring. This ring can rotate freely around the tug's deckhouse – a unit referred to as the "Carrousel Towing System". This system eliminates the risk of capsizing under a tow load. In combination with two Voith Schneider Propellers (VSPs) arranged in-line, the tug design allows for a slender and highly efficient hull. New and previously unseen levels of tug operation safety and efficiency will be reached with this evolutionary concept. The first two Carrousel RAVE Tugs are currently under construction for Novatug B.V., a subsidiary of Multraship Towage & Salvage.

Towage and salvage specialist Multraship, through its 100-percent-owned subsidiary Novatug BV, has commissioned the construction of two Carrousel Rave Tugs (CRTs) as well as a new ASD 3212 tug from Damen Shipyards Group. Officially ordered today at a signing ceremony at Damen’s stand at the Europoort exhibition in Rotterdam, the new vessels aim to provide operators with more power, more freedom and more durability, as well as eliminating the risk of capsizing under a tow load.

Damen Marine Components (DMC), the oldest company in Damen Shipyards Group, celebrates its 150th anniversary today. DMC has grown from a very small shipyard established in Gorinchem in 1865, to become the largest nozzle builder in the world. Via a live satellite link, around a 1,000 customers, employees, suppliers and colleagues, at its three main locations in Hardinxveld (the Netherlands), Jiangyin (China) and Gdańsk (Poland), will toast this historic occasion simultaneously. Although DMC’s own roots were established in 1865 when Jan van de Giessen set up a business from a small wharf in the ‘Kalkhaven’, the history of shipbuilding in the area actually dates back to the 14th century.

The first ship outfitted with the Van der Velden FLEX Tunnel was named Friday, August 14th in Duisburg. The Rhenus Duisburg, the new barge combination from shipping company Rhenus PartnerShip, has been put through extensive tests and trials. Much data has been collected so as to establish the appropriate and ultimate efficiency of the Van der Velden FLEX Tunnel. The system developed by Van der Velden offers advantages for barges in terms of speed, capacity, propulsion, manoeuvrability and fuel economy. Van der Velden FLEX Tunnel is an innovative fold-tunnel system designed specifically for inland waterways. Fitted with conventional tunnels, loaded barges sail in deep water for an average of 80% of the time.

JRC and Alphatron Marine will introduce a new pushboat bridge concept dedicated for the American river and inland waterways. Harnessing 25 years of European inland waterways experience, the companies say a balance is struck between the latest technological advancements and the unique operating requirements for some of the world’s largest rivers. In Europe, typically inland shipping can move a maximum six barges at a time while the size of the rivers in the United States allows for transport of up to 36 barges at the same time.