Agreement will create an expansion to existing Services network for Damen clients
30 June 2016, Gorinchem, the Netherlands: Damen Shipyards Group and Sydney City Marine have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining the future cooperation of the two companies concerning the repair and maintenance of Damen-built vessels in Australia and New Zealand. The MOU lays the groundwork for expansion of Damen’s Services network in Australia.
Detailing the future working relationship between the two companies, the MOU’s principle agreement states that Sydney City Marine will perform repair and maintenance works of Damen vessels. This will involve scope such as steel works, painting, boiler making, pipe fitting and carpentry, in addition to the supply of construction materials.
Damen’s role will include the provision of specialist technical assistance, engineering capacity, parts and equipment. “We will be able to supply turnkey solutions to customers regarding docking and repair, or just send specialist engineers capable of taking on hydraulics, Praxis, ICAF and winch jobs, for example,” explains Damen Regional Service Manager Onno Piesens. “The yard will also have our full range of parts, equipment as well as expertise from our headquarters in The Netherlands at their disposal.”
A partner in Sydney
Sydney City Marine is a modern shipyard that provides comprehensive repair and maintenance services for a wide range of vessels. With ISO 9001:2015 certification, the yard has deep water access and an 800-tonne capacity ship lift. Covered and open repair facilities can accommodate vessels up to 60 metres in length.
Sydney City Marine Director Brenton Fischer said this agreement is a logical progression for Sydney City Marine: “With our facilities, workforce and efficiencies, and Damen’s technical knowledge, our collaboration will create a full service commercial hub for the commercial operators in our region. On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of Sydney City Marine, we welcome the formalisation of our relationship which will benefit existing clients and enable both Sydney City Marine and Damen to grow our presence in the region.”
An expansion of the Damen services network.
The first steps in the working relationship between Sydney City Marine and Damen have already been taken. The Australian yard recently completed the engineering of an ASD tug cradle, the configuration of which has been fully approved by Damen’s representatives. Furthermore, Sydney City Marine is currently carrying out repairs to the first Damen vessel to visit Sydney City Marine.
“Following the opening our first Australian Service Hub in 2013, this latest development continues the expansion of our services in Australia,” says Jaap de Lange, Damen Services Director. “By forming this working relationship with Sydney City Marine, our clients can benefit from a local repair, maintenance and spare parts service. Furthermore, there are quite a few Damen owners in the area whose vessels are approaching the 5-year special survey stage. Sydney City Marine is in the perfect position to offer them safe, reliable and cost-effective turnkey docking solutions.
Damen Shipyards Group
Damen Shipyards Group operates 32 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 9,000 people worldwide. Damen has delivered more than 6,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers some 180 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Based on its unique, standardised ship-design concept Damen is able to guarantee consistent quality.
Damen’s focus on standardisation, modular construction and keeping vessels in stock leads to short delivery times, low ‘total cost of ownership’, high resale values and reliable performance. Furthermore, Damen vessels are based on thorough R&D and proven technology.
Damen offers a wide range of products, including tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons and superyachts.
For nearly all vessel types Damen offers a broad range of services, including maintenance, spare parts delivery, training and the transfer of (shipbuilding) know-how. Damen also offers a variety of marine components, such as nozzles, rudders, anchors, anchor chains and steel works.
In addition to ship design and shipbuilding, Damen Shiprepair & Conversion has a worldwide network of 15 repair and conversion yards with dry docks ranging up to 420 x 80 metres. Conversion projects range from adapting vessels to today’s requirements and regulations to the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DSC completes around 1,500 repair and maintenance jobs annually.
