VIDEO: Damen’s Niron Staal launches ferry hull

FEBRUARY 2, 2017 — Damen Shipyards Group member Niron Staal, a sister company of Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam, Niron Staal has successfully launched the hull of a RoPax 5212 passenger ferry from its facilities in Amsterdam.

Preparations for the launch started early Tuesday morning when the finished hull was moved out of Niron Staal’s production hall on a multi-wheeled transporter. After traveling the short distance to the quayside, the ferry was transferred to a floating pontoon. The pontoon was then ballasted, leaving the ferry free to take to the water for the very first time.

Yesterday, the RoPax hull was towed to Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld where it will be outfitted ready for final delivery to an African client.

Niron Staal is a steel construction and machining specialist and the ferry is its first new build for Damen and, says Niron Staal Director Roland Berends, shows the cooperation that it has had with Damen during the build process. “The basic and detailed engineering phases have really demonstrated the expertise and experience that has been shared between Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld and Niron Staal Amsterdam,” he says.

The advantage of this cooperation can be seen from the fact that Niron Staal Amsterdam competed construction of the fully-painted hull in less than three months.

“What’s more, all the hot work been completed; a fact that will make the outfitting process also very efficient,” says Mr. Berends.

Niron Staal Amsterdam fabricated the hull of this passenger ferry in its covered production hall. This provides numerous benefits to the construction process.

“By building inside, we can guarantee the highest levels of quality. And, without the influence of the weather, we can complete contracts within the time specified,” says Mr. Berends, “Furthermore, the whole process is safer because we have the right tools and the right conditions.”

He says that Niron Staal is looking forward to further projects with other Damen Shipyards Group companies in the near future.

“We are pleased to say that we will be commencing multiple contracts in the spring,” he says. “And, of course, we will be using the lessons learned from this first successful project to continually improve our construction and management processes.”