Damen hosts digital steel-cutting ceremony for RoPax vessel
On Monday, 27 th April, DAMEN Yichang Shipyard in China hosted a steel cutting ceremony with a difference. As a result of safety measures surrounding the global COVID-19 outbreak, the occasion of first steel cut for a DAMEN RoPax Ferry 6716 for the Government of Timor-Leste was marked by a digital gathering.
Damen sales manager Gysbert Boersma explains, “During the coronavirus crisis, our first priority is for peoples’ safety and well-being. We do, however, still like to mark these important milestones so we do so in a safety-conscious manner, with the aid of digital communications. The steel cutting was a great success; we certainly still managed to make it a special event.”
Attendees of the online ceremony included representatives of the Government of Timor-Leste and DAMEN employees in both China and the Netherlands. The delegates gathered at their individual computers at 14.50 China Standard time (15.50 in Timor-Lest and 08.50 in the Netherlands) to listen to speeches. After this, DAMEN Yichang Shipyard General Manager Mr Deng Zhiping pushed the button and the first steel was cut.
When completed, the 67 x 16 metres vessel will operate a route between Timor-Leste’s capital Dili, the Oecusse enclave and the island of Ataúro. She will carry up to 308 passenger, plus vehicles and goods. The project is co-funded by the governments of Timor-Leste and Germany and is scheduled to begin operations in 2021. The Government of Timor-Leste has stated that the ferry will open up new opportunities for commerce, education and employment in the country.
During the coronavirus crisis, DAMEN Yichang Shipyard has managed to continue production by taking robust safety measures that ensure the well-being of personnel, their families and the wider community. This has included many employees working from home. For those unable to work from home, there has been temperature testing before entry, a rigorous cleaning and disinfection programme and the observation of safe working distance at all times.
Damen Shipyards Group operates 36 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 13,000 people worldwide. DAMEN has delivered more than 6,500 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers around 175 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. 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, winches, anchors, anchor chains and steel works. DAMEN Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) has a worldwide network of eighteen repair and conversion yards of which twelve are located in North West Europe. Facilities at the yards include more than 50 floating (and covered) drydocks, including the longest, 420 x 80 metres, and the widest, 405 x 90 metres, as well as slopes, ship lifts and indoor halls. Projects range from the smallest simple repairs through Class’ maintenance to complex refits and the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DSC completes around 1,300 repair and maintenance jobs annually, both at yards as well as in ports and during voyage.
