Damen Oskarshamnsvarvet has won a contract for the refit and repair works of a Swedish ferry from Trafikverket (the Swedish Transport Administration). Awarded after a public tender process, the contract refers to the Castella, a 77-metre long Ro-Ro ferry.
Damen Oskarshamnsvarvet, part of Damen Shiprepair & Conversion, will complete the works between November 2017 and March 2018.
Trafikverket (the Swedish governmental body responsible for national infrastructure) operates over 40 different ferry routes that mobilise more than 60 ferries. These enable 21 million passenger and 11 million vehicle transports per year; demonstrating the vital function that ferries contribute to Sweden’s transport system.
Damen Oskarshamnsvarvet is the most northerly located yard within the Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) network of worldwide ship repair yards. Its location on Sweden’s Baltic Sea coast serves to extend DSC’s scope in Northern Europe.
The scope of work required on the 1980-built Castella includes replacing the existing wheelhouse with a new aluminium wheelhouse. The yard will also be handling the design, construction and installation of a new integrated automation and alarm system (IAS). Additional works consist of renewal of the vessel’s four propulsion engines and installation of a new control system for the rudder propellers which will be supplied by the owner.
The Castella contract also consists of overhauling and painting the vessel ramps as well as painting of the decks and internal hull.
Damen Stan Pontoon 4512 delivered to Norway’s Skyssbåtservice
Norwegian maritime transport company Skyssbåtservice has taken delivery of a Stan Pontoon 4512 from the Damen Shipyards Group. The 45-metre barge will be capable of fulfilling a variety of roles in both the general maritime transport sector projects and the oil & gas industry.
As well as carrying general cargo along the Norwegian coast on its 12 tonnes per m² deck, the barge is fitted with a bow ramp giving it full RoRo capability. Tug stoppers on the stern also allow it to be pushed as well as towed to its destinations.
Skyssbåtservice’s new Stan Pontoon 4512 is additionally classified as a fuel oil barge. Its double hull, covering both its bottom and sides, protects the six internal tanks capable of carrying a total of 540 m³. An encased manifold is fitted on deck. This capability will also make the barge eligible for inclusion in the permanent pool of vessels that supports Norway’s coastal oil contingency plan.
The barge will join four other vessels in the fleet operated by Skyssbåtservice. Established in 1983, the company has developed a niche from its base at Vestre Åmøy on the south west corner of Norway’s coastline. Particular areas of expertise include supporting construction projects in or alongside the sea, as well as servicing oil and gas installations. The new barge will add capacity in the transport and storage of heavy machinery, including vehicles.
