Aqualiner recently signed a contract with Damen Shipyards for four Damen Waterbus 2407 vessels.
The waterbuses will provide public transport services in the Belgian city of Antwerp, as part of a wider transportation programme also including land-based public transport services and road improvement schemes. This is the first order for the new Waterbus 2407.
The first Waterbus will operate a service connecting the centre of Antwerp with the southern reaches of the city. It will later expand with a similar service to the north. When the four waterbuses are in operation, both services will be able to offer half-hourly transportation.
One of the key factors in Damen being awarded the contract, following a tender process by the Port of Antwerp, was the company’s philosophy of building standard vessels for stock. Mr Schutten, Director of Aqualiner explained: ‘As part of the contractual agreement we wanted to present Port of Antwerp and the city with a working waterbus in a very short timeframe. As Damen had one of these vessels on stock at the time, this was easily accomplished.’
The naming ceremony of the first vessel, Aqua Diamond, took place Friday 29th of June at Steenplein in the city of Antwerp. The vessel is named in honour of Antwerp’s leading role in the diamond industry.
Successful waterbus operations in the city
Although new, the Waterbus 2407 is based on proven solutions developed by Damen’s in-house R&D team. The first vessel was delivered from stock, and the additional three will be built at Damen Shipyards Antalya in Turkey, the group’s composite specialist. As composite vessels, the waterbuses are not only lightweight and efficient; they are also free from corrosive properties and offer very low maintenance.
Gerbrand Schutten has led this operation over the past 8 years and is responsible for the success of the waterbus system in the Rotterdam area.
Damen Sales Manager Jelle Meindertsma said, ‘We are very pleased to have secured this contract for the new Waterbus 2407, so soon after its introduction. We are very confident in the capabilities of this new vessel type and expect that the Antwerp-based waterbuses will serve as a strong reference for the model.’
This full scope will be achieved very quickly thanks to the processes in place at Damen’s Antalya yard, Mr Meindertsma explained. ‘We have invested in moulds so that we can construct these waterbuses in record time. The entire service is planned to be operational end of August 2018.’
