The two docks were delivered by the heavy-lift carrier Xin Guang Hua to the Port of Willemstad, Curaçao. The larger of the two is a Panamax-class dock measuring 230m by 45m for tankers, box ships and other large vessels, while the smaller dock measures 108m by 23m and is ideal for all kinds of tugs, work boats and offshore support and anchor handling vessels.
The yard now has a busy two to three months ahead it, both afloat and ashore. Afloat, works to the internal compartments of the docks need to be completed, with some of the ballast tanks requiring blasting, painting and repairing to make them ready for operations. Meanwhile dredging contractor Van Oord will dredge the seabed beneath the docks’ final position over the next six to eight weeks and piles will be driven in the same area to allow the construction of the dolphins required to moor and operate the docks safely, the company said.
Ashore, preparations are underway to set up the necessary infrastructure to support the docks including improvements to the electrical, gas and air supply provision and investment plans have been approved for the building of a new construction hall to house the service departments, welding machines and provide training facilities to broaden the skills of the workforce.
Read More: Damen starts operations at Curacao shipyard
“We plan more investment in the years ahead,” said Lodewijk Franken, md at DSCu. “This will focus on the further improvement of our facilities, equipment and tools, as well as ongoing in-house training to broaden the abilities of our personnel and make them multi-skilled. These initiatives along with our floating docks will provide a significant boost to the yard and even now our sales team is in discussions with a number of companies regarding a wide variety of vessels ranging from a local research vessel to tugs, small cruise ships and OSVs.”
Damen Shipyards Groups took over the management of the Curacao Droogdok Maatschappij (CDM) in February 2017 following an agreement made between the Government of Curaçao and Damen Shipyards Group in September 2016.
The yard, which now operates under the name of Damen Shiprepair Curaçao (DSCu), is strategically located on the route to the Panama Canal, outside the Hurricane Belt and offers excellent working conditions within a natural bay. The yard features two graving docks; one sized 280 x 48 m and the other 193 x 26 m and almost 2 km of quay side.
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