Vroon completes offshore vessel sell-off
Written by Nick Blenkey
One of the best-known companies in Netherlands shipping, Vroon, says that it has finalized its restructuring and completed the sale of 37 vessels from its offshore fleet. That leaves Vroon with a specialized fleet of 65 deepsea transport vessels plus emergency response and rescue vessels.
Britoil Offshore Services of Singapore has acquired 30 of the offshore vessels, along with their support offices in Singapore and Genoa. Norway’s Golden Energy Offshore Services (GEOS) is taking over five vessels, and Rederij Groen of the Netherlands is taking two. Vroon announced earlier this year its intention to divest part of its offshore fleet, as part of a financial restructuring and strategic reorientation says the sales proceeds will be used to reduce debt to a normalized level.
Vroon says it will continue to build on its 130-plus years of experience with a focus on itdeepsea fleet of product and high-heat tankers, livestock carriers and emergency response and rescue vessels. The combined fleet will be supported by 1,400 employees.
According to Vroon, the sale of the offshore vessels and their support offices “as a whole was largely successful.” Almost the entire workforce will be transferred to the new owners. However, the support office in Den Helder, Netherlands, could not be included in any of the transactions and will be closed during 2024
“With Britoil, GEOS and Rederij Groen, we have found solid new home ports for our offshore-support colleagues and fleet,” said Vroon CEO Martijn Schouten. “Together with the new owners, we will take care of a smooth and seamless handover of our vessels, crews and supporting offices to ensure continuity for our customers. These transactions mark the final conclusion of an intensive process and the beginning of a new chapter for Vroon. I would like to express my sincere thanks for the commitment and contributions of our seafarers and staff. The ‘new’ Vroon will continue to focus on being an international shipping company, delivering operational excellence in niche markets.”
