The HMS Holland has been awarded the KNVTS Ship of the Year Award. Jury chairman ir. Willem de Jong presented the award at the Maritime Awards Gala, claiming this ship beat the other nominees on points instead of by a knock out, as the jury chairman of the Maritime Innovation Award stated with winner Huisman.
This year's Maritime Awards Gala took place on 8 November 2012 at the Cruise Terminal Rotterdam in the presence of some 820 guests representing all branches of maritime industry.
Surprising Winner
Jury chairman De Jong claimed it was not easy to pick a winner amongst such different ships all showing such innovative technology. When they first picked their nominees they never thought that the HMS Holland would take home the award. However, after studying the ship in detail, it had so many different innovations and was of such import for Dutch maritime industry, they decided other wise. Yet the decision was made on points, not by a knock-out, as was the case with the Maritime Innovation Award winner.
'Marineco Shamal Most innovative of the Three'
Although Damen Shipyards' Communication Advisor Jan-Hein Reeringh stated afterwards that in his opinion the Marineco Shamal, Damen's other nominee, was the most innovative of the three nominated ships, he was thrilled Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding won the award. He was especially glad for the naval personnel present at the gala who reacted enthusiastically at winning the award.
Asymmetric Warfare
The HMS Holland is a new type ocean-going patrol vessel for the Dutch Royal Navy suitable for asymmetric warfare at sea. It is flexible in its deployment and equipped for the surveillance of coastal waters, carrying out counterterrorism and -piracy missions, shipping checks and counterdrug operations. The ship can be deployed worldwide and has an endurance of 21 days. Through the use of a helicopter and the Fast Raiding Interception & Special Forces Craft (FRISC) the ship’s speed could be limited to 21.5 knots resulting in relatively low installed power and an energy efficient platform. Damen Schelde Naval Shipping, the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) of the Royal Navy, research institutes and several suppliers have proven to be able to design and build a platform ready for fast changing military circumstances.
The Nominees
- IHC Merwede has built the self propelled cutter suction dredger Athena for Van Oord. The most important goals in the design were ensuring high workability at sea, high usability and excellent working and living conditions. The yard succeeded in creating a very compact design that has significantly improved self propelled cutter suction dredger technology, which features upgraded barge-loading and flexible spud systems.
- Damen Shipyards has developed the Fast Crew Supplier 2610 Twin Axe Marineco Shamal to quickly get maintenance personnel to ever further offshore locations in rough conditions. The catamaran is roughly 25 m long, can reach speeds of 20 – 27 kn and can transport twelve people and 15 t cargo. The axe bow offers advantages in terms of resistance and acceleration of the bow. Deck slamming is prevented by removing a large part of the front deck and by giving the tunnel between the hulls an elliptic shape. The Marineco Shamal is the first ship of this type and was delivered mid 2011 and so far Damen has received eleven orders for this vessel type
.Picture: The HMS Holland won the award for its wide range of possible applications and its energy efficiency (courtesy DSNS)
For pictures of the nominees, please visit this earlier news post.
