Damen to prepare Stad Amsterdam for ‘green ambassador’ role
On 18th July, a press conference was held at the Willemsoord historic harbour in Den Helder. The subject of the meeting was the mid-life maintenance programme of the Clipper Stad Amsterdam, scheduled to take place in Den Helder in late 2019 and early 2020, the company said in its release.
During the maintenance programme, Damen Shipyards Den Helder will carry out a scope of work in the former naval dockyard Willemsoord that will increase the efficiency and sustainability of the Damen-built vessel, preparing her for a round the world voyage she will undertake in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The work that Damen will carry out on the Stad Amsterdam includes replacement of her main engines and diesel generators for equipment with improved levels of efficiency. They will also exchange her sewage installation for a new one that extracts sewage residue, purifying the water for clean, safe disposal.
With this work, the Stad Amsterdam, already boasting green credentials, will become the perfect ambassador for her next mission; a two-year round the world voyage, the SDG World Tour, to promote the seventeen UN Sustainable Development Goals. The goals, adopted by all UN member states, are a call for action by all countries to promote prosperity while protecting the environment. They represent a plan to build a better world for people and the planet by 2030.
During the voyage, the vessel will make seventeen stops, beginning in Amsterdam and finishing in New York. At each of the stops, the mission will focus on one of the seventeen goals, reaching in total 500 million people with the message of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Damen will carry out the work on the vessel at the Willemsoord in the centre of Den Helder. This historic location is over 200 years old and with direct access to the sea, is the ideal location for a programme of works on such a vessel.
Den Helder is well used to welcoming tall ships – having hosted Sail Den Helder five times in the past with a sixth edition planned for 2023. Stad Amsterdam will arrive in the city in time for the Traditional Ship Festival and will be visible to the public during her 5-month visit.
Damen Shipyards Den Helder managing director Jelle Loosman said, “We are delighted to be welcoming the Stad Amsterdam back to Damen for this project. We are excited to be undertaking the work at the Willemsoord – we have extensive experience of undertaking work on location and the historic harbour is the perfect setting for a vessel such as the Stad Amsterdam.
“Damen has committed itself to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and we are proud to play our part in preparing the vessel for her important role in supporting this plan for a better world.”
The Stad Amsterdan was delivered by Damen in 2000. She combines the best construction methods of the past with those of the present, with a classic look and feel. The vessel is 76 metres in length and features 31 sails with a total area of 2,200 m2. She sails under the Dutch flag and is available for business events, luxury cruises and adventurous sailing trips.
Damen Shipyards Group
Damen Shipyards Group operates 36 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 12,000 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. 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, 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.
The SDG World Tour
The SDG World Tour Foundation forms a global ecosystem where multiple stakeholders contribute to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals. Through co-creation and the sharing of expertise, businesses, the government, foundations, knowledge institutes, NGOs and local communities are enabled to work together. The SDG World Tour forms three legacies: on ship, on shore, and online. The outreach will be substantial: 500 million people will be reached to empower them to take part in achieving the SDGs by 2030. The global community is given the opportunity to share their suggestions on initiatives through online channels. Our goal is to make youth feel empowered to make their contributions to a sustainable future for all.
The SDG World Tour will sail out from Amsterdam on the 16th of August 2020 to arrive in New York in September 2022, having been to 17 destinations and activating the global society to realise the 17 goals by 2030.
