Damen Shipyards Antalya opens Phase 2

Following the takeover in 2013 of Cyrus, the shipyard in Antalya, Turkey, previously managed by Vitters, the renamed Damen Shipyards Antalya has refurbished a second shed for the production of the highly successful Damen Fast Crew Supplier 5009, the company said in its press release.

Since it reopened as a Damen shipyard, the Antalya facility has continued as a specialist in composite ship building, successfully making the transition from custom yacht building to the serial construction of high speed workboats up to 40 metres in length. Today Damen Antalya builds the FCS 1605, Stan Patrol 2205 and Interceptor 1102 models, and the Damen Water Bus.

Now the yard has opened a second, 12,000m² facility - Antalya II - dedicated to the construction of Damen’s best-selling 50-metre FCS 5009. The hulls and superstructures are built in steel and aluminium by a nearby subcontractor, and the fitting out takes place in Antalya II. Four 5009s are now under construction and the facility will produce 6 to 8 finished vessels a year when fully operational.

The original Antalya I is also undergoing an upgrade in 2015, with 90% of the composite work moving to the vacuum infusion process. The final 10%, representing the most complex structures, will continue to be built using hand lamination techniques. This change is already delivering a more efficient production process and cost and time savings.

“Damen Shipyards Turkey is the group’s only facility on the Mediterranean,” said Damen Shipyards Antalya managing director Auke van de Zee, “and we are fortunate in having an experienced and highly skilled production team capable of delivering top quality vessels. Our selection as the yard to take on additional production of the FCS 5009 is testament to our efficiency and the quality of our people.” The yard currently employs around 125 staff with another 60 working offsite on the 5009 hulls and superstructures. The total number will grow as Antalya II reaches its full capacity.

Jaap Gelling, Damen’s Product Director High Speed Craft, added, “I am always impressed by the energy and enthusiasm at Damen Antalya. As our centre of excellence in composite shipbuilding it is an invaluable resource with a great depth of knowledge and experience, and the dedication to quality is second to none.”

Damen Shipyards Group
Damen Shipyards Group operates 32 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 9,000 people worldwide. Damen has delivered more than 5,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers some 160 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, anchors, anchor chains and steel works.

In addition to ship design and shipbuilding, Damen Shiprepair & Conversion has a worldwide network of 15 repair and conversion yards with dry docks ranging up to 420 x 80 metres. Conversion projects range from adapting vessels to today’s requirements and regulations to the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DSC completes around 1,500 repair and maintenance jobs annually.