Gorinchem, 2018-11-08, Damen press release,
Smit Lamnalco takes delivery of final two Damen ASD Tugs 3212 in four vessel order
Damen has delivered the third and fourth units in a four-vessel contract to leading towage company Smit Lamnalco. All four vessels are Damen’s popular and powerful ASD Tug 3212 class with a bollard pull of 80 tonnes. The order was placed in November 2017 and, with stock boats available, the first two were delivered in June and these latest arrivals in October.
The SL Thunggun and SL Irrong have arrived at Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory and will shortly be heading east to the Weipa bauxite mine on the Cape York Peninsular, Queensland. Owned and operated by mining giant Rio Tinto, the mining complex exports around 30 million tonnes of bauxite each year via its own port. Currently a third site, the Amrun mine, is being constructed in an A$2.6bn project due for completion in 2019. The new infrastructure being built to support the mine includes a processing plant and a second terminal. Around ten, very large bulk carriers currently enter the existing port facilities each week to take on bauxite.
The SL Thunggun and SL Irrong have been finished to meet Australian standards including AS 3000 electrical compliance and are certified Asbestos Free. With the tugs being kept on offshore moorings in a remote location Damen will be supplying a comprehensive support package to ensure maximum reliability.
Rotterdam-based Smit Lamnalco is a long-standing client of Damen, with nearly 60 Damen vessels in its fleet. Damen also has a long history of providing tugs supporting other Rio Tinto terminals in Australia, including a number of ASD Tugs 3111 in Dampier, WA, plus a Stan Tug 2207 at Cape Cuvier, WA, and three additional ASD Tugs 3111 at Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal, Queensland.
“The success of this project is based on Damen’s long-lasting relationships with both Rio Tinto and Smit Lamnalco,” said Vincent Maes, Area Sales Manager for Benelux. These are built on trust, reliability and quality. We are confident that these new tugs will be effective and efficient in their role.”
“The 3212 class was an obvious choice given the exposed location and strong currents,” said David Fethers, Regional Managing Director for Smit Lamnalco in Australia/PNG. “The fit and finish of these vessels is testament to Damen’s outstanding attention to detail. We are very pleased to be continuing our long relationship.”
Damen Shipyards Group
Damen Shipyards Group operates 35 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 12,000 people worldwide. Damen has delivered more than 6,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers some 160 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Based on its unique, standardised ship-design concept Damen is able to guarantee consistent quality.
Damen’s focus on standardisation, modular construction and keeping vessels in stock leads to short delivery times, low ‘total cost of ownership’, high resale values and reliable performance. Furthermore, Damen vessels are based on thorough R&D and proven technology.
Damen offers a wide range of products, including tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons and superyachts.
For nearly all vessel types Damen offers a broad range of services, including maintenance, spare parts delivery, training and the transfer of (shipbuilding) know-how. Damen also offers a variety of marine components, such as nozzles, rudders, winches, anchors, anchor chains and steel works.
Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) has a worldwide network of eighteen repair and conversion yards of which twelve are located in North West Europe. Facilities at the yards include more than 50 floating and (covered) drydocks, the largest of which is 420 x 90 metres, as well as slopes, ship lifts and indoor halls. Projects range from the smallest simple repairs through Class’ maintenance to complex refits and the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DSC completes around 1,300 repair and maintenance jobs annually, both at yards as well as in ports and during voyage.
