Bourbon takes delivery of 500th vessel

JUNE 25, 2014 — Paris-headquartered Bourbon has celebrated delivery of the 500th vessel. It says that this puts it in control of the world’s largest fleet of vessels operated for the offshore marine services industry.

Built by China’s Zhejiang Shipbuilding Co, the 500th vessel is the 95.6 m Bourbon Evolution 806, the sixth vessel in the company’s first series of IMR vessels.

Bourbon says the delivery validates its strategic decision to focus on achieving economies of scale through standardization and construction in series.

“We are delighted with the delivery of this 500th vessel, which reflects our commitment to provide the means to continue our development and to best serve the needs of our clients,” says COO Gael Bodénès. “We are now realizing the fruits of seeds sown over several years when we invested in a series of standardized vessels to achieve a global leadership position in our market.”

With a fleet of 500 vessels averaging 6.3 years of age, Bourbon operates worldwide with over 11,000 employees. By year-end 2015, the delivery of 34 vessels currently under construction will make the fleet even larger.