Shipbuilder Damen Shipyards has a record amount of work waiting to be started. The company notices a high demand for yachts. In addition, the order book of the division that makes work vessels is also well-filled.
GORINCHEM, WILLEMSTAD - Damen's order book stood at 8.8 billion euros at the end of last year, the Nethelands’ largest shipbuilder reported Friday. This resulted in contracts worth 800 million euros. The Workboats division still has to build at least 99 ships, such as tugs, inland vessels, pontoons, frigates and fishing boats. Damen Yachting is also busier than ever.
According to CEO Arnoud Damen, 2021 was a good year. The company closed the year with an operating profit of 25 million euros. With that, the company wrote positive figures for the first time in four years. Damen emphasizes that the positive result of the company is also due to the commitment to more sustainable ships. For example, the first fully electrically powered harbor tug was built for the Port of Auckland.
Damen delivered 143 ships last year. That was the same number as a year earlier. In terms of repair and conversion of ships, Damen was slightly less busy.
Due to the war in Ukraine, Damen is facing uncertainties this year. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Damen has decided not to build ships for Russian and Belarussian clients for the time being. A number of ships were already under construction. The company is looking for a solution to this issue.
Before the raid, the company employed 214 people at sites in Kherson and Mikolayiv. The shipbuilder states that a large number of families have been moved to safer places in recent months, with employees at other Damen shipyards in Romania, Poland and the Netherlands being able to work. Damen has also tried to support those left behind, for example by sending money and belongings.
What this means for the shipyard in Curaçao is not yet clear. Damen announced on July 26 this year that its rescue plan for the Curaçao dock is ready. According to the general manager of the company, Peter Luiten, it is now a matter of waiting for approval of an investment program for the yard.
In anticipation of this, major maintenance was carried out on a door of a dry dock. The $40 million investment program consists of two parts. Curaçao pays twenty million dollars of this with the help of the Netherlands and the other twenty million dollars is financed by Damen itself.
The rescue plan was drafted by KPMG. It was based on a capacity of three docks, although Damen's website still speaks of four docks: 'Antillia', 'Beatrix' and the two floating docks that Damen brought with them: the large 'Curaçao' and the smaller 'Damen '. The plan that is now on the table is based on two docks, the third dock will only be tackled in four years' time.
