Gorinchem, 2020-11-25, press release
Damen signs with Opus Marine for Germany’s first FCS 2710
On 3rd December in Hamburg, Damen Shipyards Group signed a contract with Opus Marine for the delivery of a Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 2710, to be named Allegro. The company will operate the vessel in support of its charterers, serving the offshore wind industry in the German section of the North Sea.
Damen will deliver the vessel to Opus Marine in March. The relative speed of delivery comes as a result of the shipbuilder’s practice of building standard vessels in series for stock. At the time of the contract signing, the FCS 2710 was already being constructed at Damen’s yard.
Building on success
Opus Marine operates a fleet of crew transfer vessels, amongst which is a Damen FCS 2610 named Verdi. This predecessor to the FCS 2710 was a game changer in offshore wind and went on to become an industry benchmark, of which around 50 were built.
The FCS 2710 builds on the success of this design. It draws on the same Twin Axe bow in order to provide safe, comfortable transportation even in rough seas. A key feature is the vessel’s 1 metre increased height above the water. This allows the FCS 2710 to operate in water over 2 metres wave height, significantly increasing uptime. The FCS 2710 also offers additional deck space, tank capacity and accommodation.
Best boats
When Opus Marine wanted to increase its fleet it turned to Damen based on its previous experience, managing director Bernhard Messer explains. “We didn’t see any reason to change this winning team. It is our goal to provide the best CTV service to our clients, which we can only do with the best boats. If the going gets tough, Damen has proven itself to be an impressively reliable partner with an outstanding back office performance and technical support throughout. We are looking forward to our new fleet
addition and further successful cooperation with Damen.”
Damen sales manager Joschka Boddeling echoed his sentiments, saying, “We are very happy that this project, which has been in pipeline for some time, has now matured. Working with Opus Marine, who in 2015 pioneered the 24 pax FCS 2610 in Germany, is something that we greatly value. Introducing the improved successor in the German market is something that we wish Bernhard and his team much success with.”
Opus Marine
Opus Marine became part of the Zeitfracht Group in mid-2018 with the acquisition of the majority of shares. The company provides highly specialised ocean transportation services for the offshore industry with a wide range of maritime transport services. The company’s activities focus on offshore wind energy, tidal turbines, floating crane operations and salvage & wreck removal. With the new vessel, the company’s fleet will be expanded to a total of seven specialised vessels. Among them is the Verdi – also a crew transfer vessel from Damen Shipyards Group.
Zeitfracht Group
Zeitfracht is a third generation family company with approx. 2,700 employees, predominantly engaged in the areas of logistics and trade.
Damen Shipyards Group
Damen Shipyards Group has been in operation for over ninety years and offers maritime solutions worldwide, through design, shipbuilding, ship repair and related services. Damen operates 36 shipyards in 18 countries and offers direct employment to more than 13,000 people.
Damen’s values are fellowship, craftsmanship, entrepreneurship and stewardship. The company aims to be the most sustainable shipbuilder in the world, via digitalisation and standardisation of its products. Damen’s main activities are the design and serial construction of innovative ships by integrating diverse components and subsystems into high-quality platforms. These activities are supported by a worldwide sales and service network.
Damen is also active in the repair and conversion of existing ships and the sale and production of components for the maritime industry.
