28 million euro orders for Dutch and Belgian naval ships

Imtech (technical services provider in Europe and on the global marine market) has received new orders for new and existing ships from the Royal Netherlands and Belgian navies worth over 28 million euro. Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (Vlissingen, the Netherlands), builder of the new logistic support ship ‘Karel Doorman’ of the Royal Netherlands Navy, granted Imtech the contract for the design, production, delivery and implementation of various technological solutions on board this Joint Support Ship (JSS). Imtech also obtained orders for a technological upgrade of the Royal Netherlands Navy’s supply vessel ‘Hr. Ms. Amsterdam’ dating from 1995 and a technological upgrade of two M-class frigates owned by the Belgian Navy.
RenĂ© van der Bruggen, CEO Imtech: ‘Imtech is one of the strongest technology players on the global market for naval vessels and works for many navies. Contracts like the new logistic support ship ‘Karel Doorman’ are important to us. Not just in terms of continuity, but also as a base for global export of innovative technologies. The close co-operation with clients such as the Royal Netherlands Navy, Damen and other players in the maritime chain enables us to display our knowledge and skills and demonstrates our technological innovations again and again. That is why we have been awarded orders from among others the Turkish, Moroccan, Singaporean and South Korean navies. This has a positive impact on Dutch employment and confirms the important position of the Dutch maritime industry in the global maritime playing field.’
Technology for the Royal Netherlands Navy’s Joint Support Ship ‘Karel Doorman’
The new logistic support ship ‘Karel Doorman’, also called a Joint Support Ship (JSS), will replace the supply ship ‘Hr. Ms. Zuiderkruis’ which dates from 1975. With a water displacement of nearly 28,000 tons and measuring 205 metres in length, this is one of the biggest naval ships ever built in the Netherlands. The contract will be officially signed by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding and Imtech this afternoon at the NIDV congress (the Netherlands Industry Association for Defence and Security) in Rotterdam. The vessel’s primary tasks involve supplying Dutch naval ships and/or the fleet with which it is operating and transporting heavy and/or special equipment to support land operations from the sea. Furthermore, the vessel can also be used for humanitarian relief operations and civil assignments such as disaster relief. In total, the ship can accommodate 300 crew members. The ship has a helicopter deck for two helicopters, a loading and unloading facility for landing crafts and various radar, communication and defence systems. Imtech is responsible for the platform automation (the heart of the ship), the fully automated integrated bridge, the majority of the power supply and various electrical and communication solutions. The ship will be delivered to the Royal Netherlands Navy in 2014.
Technological upgrade of ‘Hr. Ms. Amsterdam’ for the Royal Netherlands Navy
With a contract from the Defence Material Organisation, Imtech is upgrading the hardware and software of the existing platform automation on board the Royal Netherlands Navy’s supply vessel ‘Hr. Ms. Amsterdam’ dating from 1995. This involves the replacement of computers, the inclusion of new fibre-optic technology and the implementation of new processors as well as measurement and control solutions, which will include appropriate new and faster software. This will significantly improve the ship’s platform functionality. The project will be completed in 2012.
Technological upgrade of two M-class frigates for the Belgian navy
For the Belgian navy, Imtech is providing the technological upgrade of an existing integrated control and monitoring system on board two M-(multipurpose) class frigates. The entire system, consisting of numerous linked computer systems distributed throughout the ships which control and monitor all the platform technology on board, is being replaced by a new state-of-the-art version. The first ship will be ready in 2012 and the second in 2014.
Imtech: strong player in global marine market
In the global marine market, Imtech (Imtech Marine) generates a revenue of over 500 million euro with around 2,500 employees. This makes it one of the maritime market’s strongest players and an independent full-service provider of integral solutions for platform automation, propulsion (including electrical propulsion), energy generation and distribution, communication/navigation, integrated ships’ bridges, HVAC (air and climate) technology and multimedia/entertainment. Imtech Marine operates global and has a worldwide service network of over 70 branches in 23 countries along all the world’s major shipping routes and near important shipbuilding centres.