Specialist shipyard products Damen

SPECIALIST SHIPYARD PRODUCTS

Damen Shipyards Koźle is one of only a handful of inland shipyards operating in Poland. Nowadays part of the Dutch DAMEN SHIPYARDS GROUP, it belongs to the group of leading inland river shipyards in Europe and its business activities are fully aimed at customers across export markets. Piotr Sadowski reports for ‘Industry Europe’.

Kędzierzyn-Koźle in Poland has a longstanding maritime tradition – despite being located inland in the country. Situated 600 kilometres away from the sea, the city’s port on the Odra River was, during the years between the two World Wars, the second largest inland port in Europe, after Duisburg in Germany. “The shipyard was created in the 1970s and the original plan for its establishment was so that it could become part of the Odra-Danube channel, which would link Kędzierzyn with Vienna,” says Janusz Bialic, president of the board of the shipyard. “However, this never happened. Nevertheless, a very positive and practical result of this investment was the creation of the largest river-based shipyard in Poland, which, to this date, has produced nearly 200 specialist vessels.”

In November 2006 the shipyard joined the Dutch DAMEN SHIPYARDS GROUP. As Mr Bialic explains, the decision by the Dutch Group to purchase the Polish company was very much dictated by the fact that, for many years, nearly 50 per cent of the shipyard’s production was for the Group. “Today, by being part of the Group, we have access to the most modern technologies, machinery and knowhow,” says Mr Bialic. “We produce vessels which range from pushers and tug boats and cutter suction dredgers, to passenger ships, freighters, tankers, as well as river constructions such as bunker stations, tanks and other specialist installations. Our vessels reach some of the leading customers across export markets and we are proud of delivering the highest standards in the European shipyard industry.”

Maintaining the Damen standard

After joining the Damen Group, the high quality standards of the Kędzierzyn-Koźle shipyard are now confirmed further as it adheres to the unique, standardised shipbuilding concept called the ‘Damen Standard’. The standard gives the Group the ability to offer customers well-proven, innovative vessels at competitive prices. The standard hulls offered by the shipyards that belong

to the Group can also be easily modified to meet customer wishes and equipped with different options that meet the requirements of specific jobs and utility requirements.

As Mr Bialic explains, the vessels manufactured by the shipyard are built for the maximum performance and come with the highest quality standard guarantee. “They also provide the lowest levels of fuel consumption and are designed to ensure very low running maintenance costs for their owners,” says Mr Bialic. “With years of experience in the engineering, building and testing of vessel hulls, strengthened by the fact that we are now part of the DAMEN GROUP, we guarantee the best possible results and the shortest delivery times for all of our products.”

Specialist vessels

The shipyard in Kędzierzyn-Koźle produces first and foremost three main types of ships: small- and medium-sized dredgers, multi-functional haulers, and tankers. These include double-chamber chemical-container vessels. “Bearing in mind the increasing demand for our vessels, we are continuously expanding our offer,” says Mr Bialic. “In addition to the main three groups of products we are also developing vessels such as modern patrol boats, and boats for

river-cruising, as well as sea-faring boats. Nearly half of our products are made as turnkey projects. In fact, we are able to complete any type of vessel design; as part of the DAMEN GROUP we have the comfort of not being alone when it comes to solving constructional challenges in vessel-building.”

The Group’s policy of standardising processes across the shipyards which belong to the DAMEN GROUP means that the company in Kędzierzyn-Koźle, by benefiting from access to international technological know-how, is able to meet all individual client needs, while at the same time, its manufacturing location in the Polish market ensures the most competitive market price for the clients. “Our shipyard facilities on the right-hand side of the Odra River in Kędzierzyn-Koźle are fitted with 11,000 square metres of manufacturing space, where all the production processes take place,” concludes Mr Bialic. “The cranes in the shipyard are capable of lifting up to 25 tonnes of weight, which means that we can deliver very complicated and heavy vessels. Our computerised research and design office is staffed by specialised engineers who prepare a plan for a vessel that will always meet the most demanding client needs. The most important thing is that we can safely work to deliver the best possible standards of quality and always get them to clients in the agreed time. This is what certainly makes us stand out from the competition and continues to support our strong brand name in the European market.” n