Damen signs MOU with Sydney City Marine

Damen Shipyards Group and Sydney City Marine have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining the future cooperation of the two companies concerning the repair and maintenance of Damen-built vessels in Australia and New Zealand. The MOU lays the groundwork for expansion of Damen’s Services network in Australia, the Dutch shipbuilder said Friday in a press release.

Detailing the future working relationship between the two companies, the MOU’s principle agreement states that Sydney City Marine will perform repair and maintenance works of Damen vessels. This will involve scope such as steel works, painting, boiler making, pipe fitting and carpentry, in addition to the supply of construction materials.

Damen’s role will include the provision of specialist technical assistance, engineering capacity, parts and equipment. “We will be able to supply turnkey solutions to customers regarding docking and repair, or just send specialist engineers capable of taking on hydraulics, Praxis, ICAF and winch jobs, for example,” explains Damen Regional Service Manager Onno Piesens. “The yard will also have our full range of parts, equipment as well as expertise from our headquarters in The Netherlands at their disposal.”

A partner in Sydney
Sydney City Marine is a modern shipyard that provides comprehensive repair and maintenance services for a wide range of vessels. With ISO 9001:2015 certification, the yard has deep water access and an 800-tonne capacity ship lift. Covered and open repair facilities can accommodate vessels up to 60 metres in length.

Sydney City Marine Director Brenton Fischer said this agreement is a logical progression for Sydney City Marine: “With our facilities, workforce and efficiencies, and Damen’s technical knowledge, our collaboration will create a full service commercial hub for the commercial operators in our region. On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of Sydney City Marine, we welcome the formalisation of our relationship which will benefit existing clients and enable both Sydney City Marine and Damen to grow our presence in the region.”

An expansion of the Damen services network
The first steps in the working relationship between Sydney City Marine and Damen have already been taken. The Australian yard recently completed the engineering of an ASD tug cradle, the configuration of which has been fully approved by Damen’s representatives. Furthermore, Sydney City Marine is currently carrying out repairs to the first Damen vessel to visit Sydney City Marine.

“Following the opening our first Australian Service Hub in 2013, this latest development continues the expansion of our services in Australia,” says Jaap de Lange, Damen Services Director. “By forming this working relationship with Sydney City Marine, our clients can benefit from a local repair, maintenance and spare parts service. Furthermore, there are quite a few Damen owners in the area whose vessels are approaching the 5-year special survey stage. Sydney City Marine is in the perfect position to offer them safe, reliable and cost-effective turnkey docking solutions.”

About Damen Shipyards Group
Gorinchem, Netherlands based Damen Shipyards Group (established in 1927) is a globally operating company with 35 owned shipyards and numerous partner yards. Damen employs over 6,000 people, has built over 5,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers approximately 180 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Damen specializes in building tugs, workboats, patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, offshore support vessels, oil-spill response vessels, frigates and mega yachts. Besides, Damen offers efficient customer support, customer financing and complete lifecycle service.