First Damen TwinAxe order for offshore oil & gas
To develop its large fleet, Groen Offshore, Guard & Support has selected the first Damen Twin Axe Fast Crew Supplier 2610 to be customised with Offshore Oil & Gas standby capabilities. The Netherlands-based company will deploy the new vessel on long-term charter for a major E&P operator in the Danish part of the North Sea, following quick delivery this summer from Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam, the shipbuilding group said in a press release.
On 13 May, Henk Groen, Director of Groen Offshore, Guard & Support (in Dutch known as Rederij Groen), signed the contract for the new FCS 2610 with Frits van Dongen, Director of Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam – the Damen yard in the Netherlands that will finish the vessel from stock. The FCS 2610 is the first Damen Twin Axe Fast Crew Supplier in Groen Offshore, Guard & Support's modern fleet of 27 vessels and 37 charter vessels.
Damen has built more than 40 vessels from the highly successful Damen Twin Axe FCS 2610 design. Thanks to its proven seakeeping performance in demanding North Sea conditions, the popular workboat is already a mainstay of Europe's Offshore Wind construction and maintenance sector. The order for the first FCS 2610 customised for Offshore Oil & Gas highlights the design's multipurpose functionality as well as Damen's ability to quickly tailor the built-from-stock vessels to client specifications.
Groen Offshore, Guard & Support, with more than 40 years of experience in Offshore Oil & Gas, specified a number of plug and play features including a davit for a fast rescue craft on the fore deck, a 10-foot offshore container outfitted as a hospital/office, a multipurpose deck crane and Dacon Rescue Scoop. The vessel also meets the highest safety standards specified by Groen Offshore, Guard & Support.
"The Twin Axe Fast Crew Suppliers stand out for their speed, maximum seaworthiness, excellent fuel economy and high stability," a spokesperson for Groen Offshore, Guard & Support stated. "That means they can also be deployed in harsher weather conditions."
The family-run Groen Offshore, Guard & Support has a relationship with Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam that stretches back more than a decade – in fact all of the client's five Seismic Research Support vessels were built at the Dutch shipyard. Just a few weeks ago, at the end of April, Groen Offshore, Guard & Support took delivery of the fifth vessel, 7-Stars, a 35-metre offshore chaser vessel.
Damen Shipyards Group operates 32 ship- and repair yards, employing 8,000 people worldwide. Damen has delivered more than 5,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers approximately 180 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Damen specializes in the construction of 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 super yachts. Besides, Damen offers a variety of marine components, especially nozzles, (flap-type) rudders, steering gear, anchors, anchor chains and steel works. In addition to ship design and shipbuilding, Damen Shiprepair & Conversion offers a network of 16 repair and conversion yards worldwide, with dry docks ranging up to 420 x 80 metres. Conversion projects range from adapting vessels to meet today’s requirements and regulations to the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DS&C handles 1,500 repair and maintenance jobs annually.