ONE DEME #3 2021 ENGLISH

#3 2021 ENGLISH PUBLISHER: DEME COMMUNICATIONS

THE COFFEE BREAK

A fond farewell to two DEME legends

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Global Sea Mineral Resources

A successful mission by an innovative team that perseveres

Bernard Paquot and Lucas Bols We talked to them about the highs and lows of their long DEME careers. Both are adamant that there genuinely haven’t been any lows.

Read more about it on page 6

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT PAPUA NEW GUINEA

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The story of the road to 10 years LTI-freew

ABU QIR 1 IN EGYPT IN FULL SWING

First, Second and Third Mates, the “real” engine of our vessels

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Our DEME Heroes are ready!

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SNAPSHOT

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EDITORIAL After everything we have faced together over the last 18 months, it is more than encouraging to see an all-time record high orderbook in the first half of the year, which represents an impressive 4.73 billion euros, even without the whispering order book. The fact that our combined efforts have led to this result is exceptional in any year, but when considering the impact of COVID-19, it is even more remarkable. This is undoubtedly due to our “One DEME, One TEAM spirit” and I would personally like to thank you all for your determination to get our projects worldwide successfully executed, while dealing with enormous hurdles and the many challenges brought to us by the pandemic.

In our Activity Line Dredging, we have seen a very strong performance, which is supported by a number of spectacular projects such as Abu Qir in Egypt, the deepening works on the River Elbe in Germany, and the ŚwinoujścieSzczecin project in Poland. And recently, several vessels have again headed to the Sea Channel project in Sabetta, Russia.

the first EPCI contract for a floating offshore wind farm in France. Additionally, we have been awarded two major scopes for Vineyard Wind, the first large-scale offshore wind farm in the United States. Further growth prospects in this Activity Line certainly look promising as the offshore wind projects in Taiwan and the United States start up.

‘SPARTACUS’ ARRIVES

With its three core projects (Terneuzen lock, RijnlandRoute and Blankenburg Connection) our Infra Activity Line is also putting in a strong performance. And alongside this trio, we have the once-in-a-lifetime Fehmarnbelt immersed tunnel project, which is one of the largest infrastructure projects carried out in Europe’s history.

Abu Qir 2 has welcomed the arrival of our mighty ‘Spartacus’. It is exciting to see the world’s most powerful cutter suction dredger in action. And I am pretty sure our competitors will also be keeping a close eye on this extraordinary new addition to our fleet.

As well as the Activity Line Dredging, DEME Offshore is busy with several pioneering offshore wind projects including Hornsea Two (165 monopile foundations and turbines) and Saint-Nazaire, the first wind farm with XL drilled foundations and indeed, the first commercial-scale wind farm in France. In the first six months, Offshore won several major contracts: Hollandse Kust (north and west Alpha), Arcadis Ost 1, which is an EPCI for 28 XXL monopile foundations and the largest ever in Europe, Hinkley Point and Leucate,

I would personally like to thank you all for your determination to get our projects worldwide successfully executed, while dealing with enormous hurdles and the many challenges brought to us by the pandemic. This is undoubtedly due to our “One DEME, One TEAM spirit”

LATEST NEWS You can find an overview of the latest DEME News on our website

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Our Environmental Activity Line has started a major remediation project at the former ExxonMobil site in Bowling near Glasgow.

The Environmental team was awarded this contract soon after the successful completion of a four-year refinery remediation project for ExxonMobil in Tønsberg, Norway. It is very satisfying to see a client of such calibre requesting our expertise for a second time.

Bowling really highlights our emphasis on sustainability and how we can play a role in the circular economy. The team is aiming to reuse more than 90 % of the material on site and even achieve zero waste if possible.

UNCHARTED TERRITORY

I am extremely proud to see how despite of all the uncertainties, DEME’s team spirit – where we have pulled together – has seen us build this orderbook. It underlines how we are providing the right solutions for our clients in all of our Activity Lines.

One other incredible achievement we feature in this issue is that of GSR. In April, the ‘Patania II’ successfully demonstrated that it can drive along the seabed and collect poly­ metallic nodules, and at depths of 4,500 m!

Not only that, as you will be aware, the GSR team had to launch a full recovery mission when ‘Patania II’ became uncoupled from the cable which connected it to the surface vessel.

But although the unimaginable happened, our team kept their cool and went straight into ‘DEME solutions mode’ and they managed to rescue the vehicle, bring it to the surface and redeploy it for two more diving missions.

While all these positive developments and new projects should realise a substantial increase in turnover and net profit in 2021 compared to the 2020, I would just add a note of caution that we still need to be careful. Yes, we are in a healthy and promising position but our investments and the measures we have had to take during the crisis have impacted our cash position. And indeed although a wonderful opportunity, we are entering new markets with the Vineyard project. This is uncharted territory. We have to be aware of that.

INVESTMENT PROGRAMME CONTINUES

During this period we have also continued with our multi-year investment programme

2 – EDITORIAL

to make sure our fleet is future ready. As well as ‘Spartacus’, our new SOV ‘Groenewind’ set out to her maiden project at the Rentel and SeaMade offshore wind farms. And then of course, we have ‘Orion’ and ‘Green Jade’ under construction.

In another significant step highlighting our commitment to the offshore wind sector, DEME Offshore’s jack-up installation vessel ‘Sea Installer’ will undergo a major crane upgrade, with the hoisting capacity increased from 900 tonnes to 1,600 tonnes.

Additionally, DEME Offshore has taken the option to upgrade the crane of its sister vessel ‘Sea Challenger’. This will make sure the vessels are fully prepared for the next generation of offshore wind turbines and this investment underpins our role as the leading contractor in offshore wind installation. In fact, we are just about to achieve another industry milestone when we install our 2,500th wind turbine!

As well as this upgrade of our installation vessels, our trusty hopper ‘Pearl River’ has undergone an extensive refurbishment. Actually, she is almost a new vessel! The TSHD has now been lengthened and we have equipped her with a bow thruster. This addition makes it much easier for ‘Pearl River’ to stay on course when performing intricate work. This overhaul is illustrative of the fact that we have faith in the future. I think this sends quite a powerful message. In the meantime, ‘Pearl River’ is already deployed on the Sea Channel project. We will take a closer look at her metamorphosis in the next edition of the ONE DEME Gazette.

Our role to offer sustainable solutions for global challenges was further confirmed recently when the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report was released. The Report pulled no punches, stating that scientists are observing changes in the Earth’s climate in every region and across the whole climate system. It provides new estimates of the chances of crossing the global warming level of 1.5°C in the next decades, and finds ‘that unless there are immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions’, limiting warming to close to 1.5°C or even 2°C will be beyond reach.

IPCC REPORT REAFFIRMS VISION TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE

Some of the findings about climate change – and I think these are no surprise to DEME – include the likelihood that we will experience more intense rainfall and the associated flooding. Coastal areas will see continued sea level rise throughout the 21st century, contributing to more frequent and severe coastal flooding in low-lying areas and coastal erosion. For cities, some aspects of climate change may be amplified, including heat, flooding from heavy precipitation events and sea level rise in coastal cities. Although these conclusions are for sure concerning, they highlight just how important our work at DEME is. I take some comfort that we are playing our part in helping to mitigate some of these problems with our innovative solutions. And given our moves to make sure we are future ready, we are in an even better position to overcome the challenges ahead.

DEME engineer and the interesting opportunities our engineers have when choosing a career with us.

Of course one big change since the last edition has been the return to working in our headquarters. It is wonderful to welcome so many of you back to the office and to see the ‘DEME vibe’ returning. Ultimately, we are a project organisation whereby people need to communicate with each other face to face. And we do understand that in some cases it takes a certain amount of ‘DEME courage’ to overcome the niggling worries about COVID-19. We have taken every precaution possible regarding your safety and all the protocols are in place.

Currently, more than 1,000 members of our crew have also been vaccinated in our ongoing campaign to protect them.

A “ONE DEME” THANK YOU TO TWO DEME LEGENDS

And a final word about two very special gentlemen who are about to embark on another chapter of their life – Bernard Paquot, Area Director Middle East, and Lucas Bols, DEME Offshore’s General Manager for Oil & Gas. Their leadership, dedication and true DEME spirit are an inspiration to us all, and indeed to me personally. Lucas actually employed me.

With a smart suit and tie, I attended the interview in Mister Bols’ office and after saying I had got the job, Lucas said he had a few words of advice I should bear in mind: “There are no Misters in our company and you can leave your tie at home!”

We do hope we will continue to see our DEME Hero, Bernard, at future cycling events now he has got the fitness bug, and perhaps these can be followed by some wine tasting at Lucas’ vineyard! I hope you will join me in wishing Bernard and Lucas a wonderful retirement.

Though reading the interview with both legends, I get the feeling they won’t be putting their feet up anytime soon.

Bernard and Lucas, thank you for the legacy you have left behind and the contribution you have made to our company. We will surely miss you!

ENGINEERING PROWESS

Given the number of diverse new projects we have been awarded in all of our Activity Lines, we are also undergoing a major recruitment drive. Our engineering prowess is legendary in the industry and we are continually looking for new talent. On the next two pages you will find an article about just what it takes to be a

Luc Vandenbulcke CEO DEME Group

SNAPSHOT

What does it take to be a DEME engineer?

DEME’s engineering talent is legendary in the industry. In the context of an increasingly competitive recruitment market, we ask two of our specialist engineers why they chose to join the company and if their career path is living up to expectations.

Project Manager Joachim Lebbe originally got to know DEME in 2009 when he worked in a joint venture with a Belgian construction company, Artes Depret. At that time the JV partners were building breakwaters in the port of Ostend. However, he liked what he saw and then chose to become part of the DEME team in 2011. “Marine construction was always my passion throughout my youth.

I remember being inspired by those huge projects in Dubai, when the dredging companies were literally creating new land.”

Joachim wanted to work on these impressive projects but at a certain moment the Middle East was hit by the oil crisis, so he was forced to look closer to home. The Ostend project was a fully integrated joint venture and one he very much enjoyed. “But if you work for a very small Belgian company, you really notice the difference when you see how an international company like DEME operates.” Joachim says he relished the competitive mentality of the DEME team and he also wanted to have an international career.

“There were more opportunities at DEME, which was really appealing as a young engineer.”

Singapore’s iconic Jurong Island Westward Extension followed, which was ‘a big learning curve’ in terms of QA and client interaction, he says. Joachim then started his ‘tour of Africa’, performing a diverse range of dredging and reclamation and civil projects in a challenging environment. Based in Africa since 2017, he has worked in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Ivory Coast amongst others.

in. So it went to the top of my list when I was considering my future.”

and it is fascinating to see how this project develops. There is a long preparation period and after this I am excited about being able to go offshore and to be part of the construction phase of the project as well.”

“During my studies in Greece and TU Delft I had the opportunity to work as an intern and gain some hands-on experience in the working environment. The role of a project engineer is ideal for me as it combines management with engineering. Marine projects Even though are very interesting and I am you may face looking forward to discoversome ‘deep ing more about them.”

waters’ as a young engineer, there is always someone there to save you!

And why is the Activity Line Offshore attractive?

Project Engineer Vasiliki Christodoulou is one of DEME’s very recent engineering recruits. Vasiliki studied civil engineering in Greece before moving to the Netherlands where she obtained an MSc at TU Delft in Construction Management and Engineering.

She graduated in February and joined DEME in May.

Vasiliki is starting out on an incredible project in our Activity Line Offshore – Vineyard Wind 1, one of the first large-scale wind farms in the US. “I am lucky to have joined right at the start of the project and hope I can stay until the end!” Vasiliki is part of the logistics team for the foundations.

“During my studies at TU Delft there were several company days at the university where I got to know DEME and its Dutch competitors.

For me, it was the international environment and the type of projects DEME was involved

The prospect of working in the renewables sector was a major reason Vasiliki decided to join the Activity Line Offshore. “I am really excited about the challenge to work offshore

OPPORTUNITIES IN RENEWABLES

Joachim comments that this huge amount of preparation time is often in stark contrast to the dredging projects and he laughs, saying that this can often lead to misconceptions between the Activity Lines. “Sometimes we get the impression the Offshore guys think that the Dredging guys ‘do first and think later’. That it is more of the Wild West!”

Is there any such thing as the ‘Wild West’ of dredging?

Perhaps with complex offshore projects, the teams may have two to three years working on the engineering and then they do the execution, he adds. “Things change and they can relook at it and adapt them. But in dredging we don’t always get this chance. On many occasions dredging projects may ‘hang in the air’ for a long time and then all of a sudden it’s Go, Go, Go!”

What made the Activity Line Dredging ­appeal to a young engineer?

London Gateway was where he ‘cut his engineering teeth’ with regards to DEME. “I started out as a Superintendent and this project offered me the perfect spot. There were such a wide variety of activities given the scale of the reclamation. We had several hoppers on site and I was continuously dealing with all the production units, floating lines, marine and reclamation equipment.”

At the same time, he came ‘face to face’ with QHSE, environmental issues and stacks of documentation, which ensured the stringent standards were achieved. For Joachim, it was quite an eye opener. “I think anyone involved in projects in the UK understands the very strict QHSE standards and documentation requirements. It is a very regulated environment. Dredgers had to be continually shifted to adhere to the rules.” Another important career-shaping factor for the young engineer was that he worked a lot of night shifts. “There was quite some responsibility. I was the one having to make the decision, I couldn’t ask for a second opinion. But that’s how I learnt.”

After the tough British standards at London Gateway, Joachim then went on to Vietnam where he was in a team dredging an access channel to Ho Chi Minh. “This was the other extreme, we were then dredging inside the mangroves, working amongst contractors with local Vietnamese standards and trying to improve them to our DEME level.”

Joachim Lebbe: “Marine construction was always my passion throughout my youth. I remember being inspired by those huge projects in Dubai, when the dredging companies were literally creating new land.”

SPOTLIGHT – 3

There is always a place for creative minds at DEME. I would say to any young engineer, take your opportunities!

But this is exactly what Joachim enjoys. “It is a gigantic rush. We have to collect all the information and also be willing to find solutions should projects deviate from the original plan. And crucially, we continually look to optimise our methodology. There is no time to put everything on pause and reassess the possibilities.”

He explains that some dredging clients do not always have the same rigorous standards as the offshore industry. “A few clients just don’t care about QHSE and ISO, they want the project completed as cheaply as possible.

Sometimes they don’t understand our solutions, we almost have to teach them about environmental rules and inform them that they cannot dispose of material wherever they want.”

Vasiliki says that this approach is for sure a contrast to the Vineyard project where QHSE and ISO are vital from the earliest stages of the project.

THROWN INTO THE DEEP END BUT ALWAYS HAVING SUPPORT

Vasiliki admits there are indeed challenges to adapting to this new industry. She comments: “However, even though you may face some ‘deep waters’ as a young engineer, there is always someone there to save you! Your colleagues help you, so you feel safe when you are out of your depth.”

And it is this team spirit, and willingness to support your colleagues, that Joachim also highlights. “It is really a specific mentality in dredging. We are a special band of brothers.”

“The dredging world is almost another lifestyle. You are assigned to a site and it is a really collegial environment. Sometimes you are up

against it (polite version) together, but this creates a close bond. There is an adrenalin rush. We have the pressure – there is a challenge – and you have to solve it together. You look back and later think ‘we did it!’”

SEEING LAND THAT DEME HAS CREATED FROM SPACE!

There is an enormous amount of pride when the team achieves a really challenging job such as a breakwater that will stay there for decades, Joachim emphasises, or when there is a whole new area of land created. “You see it on satellite pictures and can stand on it! And I can think, I was part of creating it.”

Every project stays with you, he says. “One project may have been in a tricky financial situation and then you still manage to make a profit, or perhaps as a Project Manager you are proud to see how your people have evolved, while others are very challenging technically.

They are all my favourites for different reasons.”

Both are agreed that the technology that has been developed in both Activity Lines is beyond impressive and this was also a major draw when they were considering their career options.

Joachim comments: “There is a slight difference between Dredging and Offshore I think. Offshore is a newer Activity Line.

Every vessel is pioneering, those fantastic ‘Offshore brains’ constantly come with new concepts and we are now seeing all of our competition copying these innovations.”

He points to the installation vessel ‘Orion’.

COMPETITION COPYING DEME’S INNOVATIONS

While the Activity Line Dredging has more than 140 years of history behind it, he stresses.

Vasiliki Christodoulou: "if I think about what I have learnt in just three months, it is incredible.”

“The monks were probably dredging in medieval times. There is enormous competition, especially coming from China. For dredging, it is more about finding small innovations and smart technology. We have a huge number of great ideas coming from our captains, crew, (technical) superintendents and engineers. Draghead modifications, automations, improvements in ship behaviour and monitoring systems are just a few examples. We can stay on top of our competitors by always taking those small steps ahead.” And he laughs, big steps ahead too – ‘Spartacus’ for example!

“All of our Activity Lines are continually seeking to optimise, automise, be sharper… and in the case of dredging, we aim to go deeper and dredge harder material.”

So are both engineers happy in their Activity Line? Vasiliki says: “Yes I am quite happy with the decision I took and the project team as

well. It is a really nice place to be. At the beginning it was a bit of a challenge, as a civil engineer my experience was more in infrastructure.

I was also interested in Dredging, but Offshore won me over. I enjoy Offshore but it is great to know that DEME offers so much flexibility and opportunities to experience and be able to work in different Activity Lines.”

Joachim adds: “Just looking at my career path all over the world, I think you can hardly encounter this in any other sector. You are sometimes thrown in at the deep end but this gives you the opportunity to develop yourself.

Mind you, sometimes the water is up to your lips!

POSSIBILITIES TO MOVE HORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY

“You learn to swim and have the back up of your colleagues. And you can move horizontally to another department. If you are a specialised engineer and want to work on a specific development there is the opportunity here. There is always a place for creative minds at DEME. I would say to any young engineer, take your opportunities! Most of our Works Managers and Project Managers started out as engineers.”

Vasiliki agrees. “Indeed there is a flexibility here to move horizontally or vertically, there are so many opportunities. It is very exciting to know you can experience more if you want to.”

THOSE FAMOUS DEME ABBREVIATIONS!

And Vasiliki comments about one thing they certainly have in common. They both smile.

“All the abbreviations I had to learn in the first three weeks! You know you’re in a different world and you have to enter the language.

Joachim nods and laughs saying that getting adapted to the famous DEME abbreviations is something every young engineer has to get used to.

Vasiliki says: “But if I think about what I have learnt in just three months, it is incredible.”

Both are certainly glad to be DEME engineers and are certain they have chosen the right career path.

An aerial shot of the London Gateway Project where Joachim started as a Superintendent - September 2012

4

FAB FOUR PRESIDENT DEME OFFSHORE US LLC

Sidney Florey With nearly 40 years of experience, Sidney Florey has worked on some of the most iconic civil construction projects in the US. These include the Central Artery/Tunnel Project known as the ‘Big Dig’, which is reputed to be the most challenging highway project ever to take place in America. This involved rerouting the chief elevated highway through the heart of Boston into a network of tunnels and bridges. The Washington DC Metro subway and the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (known as TARP) in Chicago are just a few of the incredible projects in his career portfolio, as well as civil infrastructure projects along the East Coast.

Directly before DEME, Sidney was the US Business Development Director for Concessions for the French construction and energy company VINCI. In 2010, while working on advancing the US market for concessions and construction, he was introduced to Kristof Van Loon, now General Manager DEME Concessions. About five years ago, Kristof asked if he’d like to help DEME develop its profile in the US market. Some months later, while in New York city, he was introduced to Jan Klaassen, Business Unit Director UK & Americas at DEME Offshore, and the rest is now part of history.

Sidney says he works side by side with his colleagues from DEME Offshore and assists DEME Offshore US in the development of the market and tendering by sharing his years

DEME creates the same culture wherever it operates in the world. The brand has really been embraced in the US. This has allowed us to establish relationships with major well-respected US companies.

WHO WILL BE NEXT? Each edition of our ONE DEME newspaper will focus on four DEME colleagues in diverse roles and located all over the world.

Each person is asked the same four questions, which reveal why DEME is special to them and also gives an insight into their career development and standout projects. The Fab Four are also asked if they have any tips for DEME, in line with our drive to continuously improve.

If you would like to participate or nominate a colleague who you think deserves a special mention in the next edition, please email: communications@deme-group.com

of US construction experience and knowledge about the local supply chain, including suppliers and subcontractors, and the US labour market.

What makes DEME special for you?

“We have collectively worked very hard to establish DEME Offshore US as a local company. We are a European company but also an American company! This vision of DEME’s senior management is appreciated. I think the management of DEME is enlightened in that they didn’t want to come to the US and change it. Instead, they immersed themselves in how the US market works.

It is a true privilege to represent a brand like DEME: the respect for human rights, inclusion of diversity, and integrating its special knowhow in our goal to develop and employ local people who are being trained to DEME’s high standards. DEME creates the same culture wherever it operates in the world. The brand has really been embraced in the US. This has allowed us to establish relationships with major well-respected US companies such as FOSS Maritime. This partnership has enabled us to develop the feeder concept which we will deploy on the Vineyard Wind 1 project, whereby FOSS will transport the wind farm components from US ports on ‘smart barges’ to the DEME Offshore installation vessels, so we are fully compliant with the Jones Act.” Is there anyone/something that has influenced your career at DEME in any special way?

“My appreciation of both Kristof and Jan can never be overstated enough. Both have made assimilation into DEME and the various tender teams much easier. Jan has been and continues to be our anchor in the wind in the US offshore wind market! Jan provides the continuity between HQ and the US through his stewardship and keeps us connected as ‘ONE DEME’. There are many that need to be recognised for their hard work, while bridging the time difference, and all of them have had an influence on my (almost vertical) learning curve for which I am thankful.

Everyone one at DEME Offshore has played a significant role in writing a new chapter for offshore wind here in America. I would also like to thank the HR Department. They have been on top of everything and worked closely with us as our human resource needs continue to ramp up.

It was both hard work and rewarding to reinvent myself and switch from civil construction to offshore construction. I want to

thank DEME senior management for their patience and perseverance as the US offshore wind market evolved. With this as a backdrop we (DEME) are contracted to build the first commercial offshore wind farm in America!

Thank you!

In addition, I want to highlight the culture – DEME does what it says it’s going to do. And that makes the job easier – I can give assurance that the company stands by its words and that it will provide the necessary resources to build such a project. I am proud to work for a company taking the giant step to aid in the environmental recovery in the US. We have the local content requirements, a unique feedering concept, the methods and technology, and the dedicated vessels. In other words, the right tools in our toolbox to get the job done.”

Which performance are you most proud of ?

“It goes without saying that the collaboration and the high performance and commitment of our entire team made our recent successes possible, such as being named the preferred bidder of Vineyard Wind 1! Located 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Vineyard Wind 1 will have a generating capacity of 800 MW. There is so much excitement here about this project and our other new contracts.

early June, DEME also signed a contract with Ørsted for the cable installation scope for the 132 MW South Fork offshore wind farm that will provide renewable energy to Long Island.

Additionally, these projects are the cornerstones that will provide synergies allowing us to move forward. It is wonderful to know we are part of a company willing to explore options and to provide the resources. This is a new industry in the US – pioneering – and it is thanks to DEME which has been willing to put all the hard work in up front.”

What do you still dream about?

“Perhaps it is a little bit altruistic but I genuinely want to develop this new energy market in the US and pass it on to the next generation knowing we gave back the opportunity to help save our planet. We will leave this legacy in good hands.”

Do you have a tip for DEME? “Who am I to give a tip to a company that is being run so well? But I would say embrace the moment. Know you’re a pioneer in a new market in a country that desperately needs a vision like DEME has. DEME has been very patient in developing this market, and it is this endurance and support that has led to success.”

DEME has now been awarded two major scopes for Vineyard for both the offshore transport and installation of the wind turbine generators and for the foundations. But in

FAB FOUR – 5

THE COFFEE BREAK

A fond farewell to two DEME legends Bernard Paquot and Lucas Bols

“Always Project Managers at heart” On the verge of their well-earned retirement we interview two of our company legends – Bernard Paquot, Area Director Middle East, and Lucas Bols, DEME Offshore’s General Manager for Oil & Gas. We were going to talk about the highs and lows of their long DEME careers, but both are adamant that there genuinely haven’t been any lows. Challenges, a few scary moments, Arctic temperatures and even facing some of the best paid arbitration lawyers in London – but absolutely no lows. Just wonderful careers!

Bernard, who must be one of DEME’s most longstanding employees, left on 31 August after 42 years with the company.

“I have actually been in service longer than the Dredging International/Baggerwerken Decloedt merger!” The merger took place in 1991 and Bernard started in 1979 at Decloedt, which was his first job after graduating as a civil engineer.

It is there that Bernard, as a young Decloedt engineer, had his first contact with Dredging International. He was the Superintendent of Decloedt’s hopper dredger ‘Pacifique’ when this vessel, on entering Zeebrugge’s new port fully loaded with sand, collided with Dredging International’s ‘Ruppel’, leaving the port loaded with silt!

After the merger between Dredging International and Baggerwerken Decloedt, and the creation of DEME in early 1991, Bernard became the Works Manager on the Zeepipe pipeline trench backfilling works and on the construction of the new container terminal in the outer harbour of Zeebrugge, both projects that were a Joint Venture between the three Belgian dredging companies.

He went directly to the Decloedt offices in Ostend and Zeebrugge from where he operated either as a Project Engineer or a Superintendent: first on small cutter jobs, including Nieuwpoort, Blankenberge, Willebroek and Plassendaal, and then later on the maintenance dredging works in the port of Zeebrugge and in the navigational channels offshore Zeebrugge, and also within the Zeezand Joint Venture for the construction of the new Zeebrugge outer harbour.

In the period until 1992, Bernard also worked as a Project Manager on several projects abroad such as the maintenance dredging of the Calabar River with the hopper ‘Vlaanderen XII’ in Nigeria, the dredging of sand in the Abidjan lagoon for the construction industry in Ivory Coast (a precursor of DBM…) and the dredging of sand offshore with the hopper ‘Vlaanderen XX’ and stockpiling it in the port of Casablanca, Morocco.

“From the end of 1992, I was stationed in Singapore, which I absolutely loved. Initially I was the Deputy Area Manager and I then became Area Manager of a few countries in South East Asia when Philip Hermans moved to Singapore and created DIAP including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

These were the nicest years of my life – I liked everything, the culture, the food, beautiful countryside, travelling around…”

COLLIDING WITH DI’S ‘RUPPEL’

the Ruwais Refinery Reclamation, the Al Marjan Artificial Islands in Ras Al Kaimah, the SARB Artificial Islands and the New Doha Port project amongst others.”

Looking back, his passport is still missing the Americas, so that is something he hopes to rectify during his retirement.

Lucas leaves DEME HQ a month later, on 30 September. He joined in 1986 in the days when DI was only subdivided into North and South, he says. “Initially, I was ‘pushed into the office into tendering’ ” he says. Bernard reflects, “Ah that was the golden team with Gerd Moyson and Patrick De Geyter!”

“But luckily (you certainly get the feeling Lucas is not a fan of being office based) that didn’t take too long and I was quickly redirected to go to a site.”

CROSSING CAREER PATHS IN… BREDA

Bernard was in the region until 1999. “And then I landed in a place called Breda at a company called Tideway!” Bernard was appointed Deputy Director of Tideway, working alongside Jos van Ijsseldijk, and he was mainly focusing on landfalls. He was there until 2005 when he handed over the reins to Lucas Bols.

This was actually one of the very few times their career paths crossed. Lucas grins: “It is a shame we didn’t work together but perhaps they deliberately kept us apart!”

Lucas: “The CEO called and asked me to meet him at his hotel at the airport in Bangkok. When I got there he just told me my time in the ‘sandbox’ was over.”

6 – THE COFFEE BREAK

In 2005 he returned to DEME Head Office where he joined the India and Middle East Area (called “IME” at the time) as Deputy Area Director, working together with Pierre Potvliege. Then when the Area was split up into the Middle East and South Asia, he took on the role of Area Director for the Middle East. “This was a very interesting period, with several challenging iconic projects such as the Pearl of the Gulf, the New Doha International Airport, the Al Raha Beach Development,

He went to Italy as a Superintendent, carrying out dredging and land reclamation projects in Sardinia, Trieste and Venice. Then he was asked to go to Australia for the Karatha project and afterwards, he went back to Europe for a maintenance dredging campaign along the River Elbe. The Elbe was followed by Singapore, performing a reclamation project for a container terminal in Singapore, which is now already going to be obsolete.

Lucas’ travels carried on and he went from Singapore to Thailand with his family for three years, where he continued as Works Manager on the Leam Chabang Port project and then he was the Project Manager for both the Sattahip Navy Port and the Map Ta Phut port projects.

Then Lucas’ career path was about to change.

“Following a site visit of Marc Stordiau, (then CEO of Dredging International), he called and asked me to meet him at his hotel at the

It is a shame we didn’t work together but perhaps they deliberately kept us apart!

With a great smile Lucas Bols (left) and Bernard Paquot look back at their time within DEME

airport in Bangkok. I had to drop everything and drive for four hours along what we called the ‘suicide road’, a four-lane road, two in each direction but with cars driving in all directions! When I got there he just told me my time in the ‘sandbox’ was over.”

JOINING HYDRO SOIL SERVICES

“I was to go to Hydro Soil Services. It was an offer I was not supposed to refuse.” Thus in January 1991 Lucas found himself with a seat opposite Johnny Van Acker. “After shifting all the files off the desk that is.”

Lucas was largely involved in landfall projects in Zeebrugge. “I was told to go and install a cofferdam and build an island!” This was for the Zeepipe gas pipeline. Using more ‘colourful’ language, Lucas quips, ‘it was very, very, very cold!’. “We had deployed a very small jack-up to install the sheet piles and myself and the surveyor were literally sheltering behind the spud of the jack-up on the beach it was so cold. That was my first experience of HSS!” SAINT-MALO – THE ALL-TIME FAVOURITE

Saint-Malo was next – his all-time favourite project (you might be surprised why). Manslagt Z1 followed, which was a directional drilling project from jack-up to jack-up on the DutchGerman border in a JV with Tideway. But gradually he was ‘pulled into the office’ being given the task of the technical-operational management once this project was completed.

However, he took every opportunity to get out of the office and his site visits led him to the Mozel and the Alps in Germany, the Seine in France and Piemonte in Italy. Lucas then took over from Philip Hermans as General Manager of HHS in 1995 as Philip went to South America. Lucas was eventually with HSS for 14 years.

Tideway was next, where he was largely working on landfalls. When Jos Van Ijseldijk

retired Lucas and Hugo Bouvy, then took on the general management in 2007.

“IT WENT BOOM!”

So why was Saint-Malo such a special project?

Lucas begins to howl with laughter. HSS was responsible for the drilling and blasting in the port of Saint-Malo in a joint venture with HAM. “We had to carry out the blasting just before 7am before the ferry arrived from the UK but close enough to 7am so we didn’t wake up the whole town too early. So we did what we were supposed to do and BOOM!”

you do to the Orwell!?’” He was clearly not pleased and Lucas was a little perplexed.

Herman told him that the underwater part of the hull of ‘Orwell’ was due to be repainted and they had the sandblasting contractor standing by ready to start his job. However, the vessel had obviously been working hard as it wasn’t necessary to do the sandblasting anymore!

Bernard adds that he worked with ‘Orwell’ too at the new container terminal in the outer harbour of Zeebrugge. “It was a very good vessel with Captain Etienne De Roeck at the helm. And the crew made a big contribution, it has always had a very I have good crew on board. It is just a very handy vessel, you can do enjoyed things with ‘Orwell’ that other every minute vessels couldn’t manage.”

“But every morning our client received dozens of calls from citizens complaining about the noise and the vibrations.

Subsequently, together with the client, we had to go and apologise to every single of my career! complainant at 2 pm! Each day BOOM, each day coffee However, although ‘Orwell’ and cake at 2pm! I will never LUCAS BOLS was a wonderful vessel evenforget one elderly lady who tually, she was not without said to me: ‘Oh monsieur, her issues. Lucas reflects on c’était comme pendant la another one of his favourite guerre!’ (‘Sir, it was just like projects when again, not that in the war!’).” Lucas everything went smoothly. laughs: “I know we always try to take care of stakeholders but this was really something HORRENDOUS RATTLING SOUND special!”

“Orwell was a brand-new vessel when we were performing the Elbe maintenance dredg‘WHAT DID YOU DO TO THE ORWELL!?’ ing campaign. We made a great start and His team was also ‘in hot water’ with the everything was fine with no problems and Technical Department too. Both Bernard then after 10 days we went in for bunkering. and Lucas have a definite soft spot for the The Chief Engineer René Van Ombergen ‘Orwell’ and the TSHD has been involved in started the engines up again and there was several memorable moments in Lucas’ career. this horrendous rattling sound. We called in He explains that Saint-Malo has a very big the Caterpillar technicians because this was tidal difference of 11 m and after finishing a newly designed engine, being the first one the dredging of the port and channel, ‘Orwell’ running on heavy fuel. Lots of the steel work was due to go into drydock. “I had a call from had actually broken off inside. But we got it Herman Blomme, the head of the Technical fixed and off we went again. Ten days later the Department, and he exclaimed, ‘What did same thing happened again but this time with

different parts! We had to do this three times!

But after that she kept on running forever.”

In another remarkable career ‘highlight’, Lucas describes the moment on a dredging and reclamation job for PSA in Singapore when he was on board of a crew transfer boat, together with the Captain of the hopper dredger ‘Atlantique’, Romain Vandriessche. “Literally in the middle of the access channel, the crew boat made a phut phut phut sound and all of a sudden we were stranded in the middle of the access channel to the container terminals with a huge container vessel heading towards us!

Captain Romain didn’t hesitate and pushed the guy out of the wheelhouse and certainly saved our skins!”

SWITCHING OFF THE LIGHTS OF SINGAPORE

Bernard also had his fair share of experiences in Singapore and laughs about an incident on a project deploying the bucket ladder dredger ‘Rhea’ for the capital dredging works in the Sinki Fairway. “They were dredging the fairway when the Dredge Master rang through to the office and said ‘I have just brought the ladder back up and there is a huge cable hanging from it!’” Bernard roars with laughter. The cable in fact turned out to be the cable that kept the lights on in the whole city of Singapore! Luckily, to the relief of everyone aboard, they managed to get the cable back where it should be with the help of some local technicians.

As mentioned, neither of them has any terrible projects, but there have certainly been some that were super challenging, they admit.

FINDING SOLUTIONS FOR THE TOUGHEST CHALLENGES

Bernard comments: “The thing is you learn huge amounts from the biggest challenges but there are a few that are the reason I have white hair now!” Two projects that fit into

7

Do your best to work in a team, try to be a team player. And always continue to be innovative. Always.

BERNARD PAQUOT

this category are the New Doha International Airport reclamation project and the SARB artificial islands in Abu Dhabi. “There were several unexpected events but we worked as a team and found solutions.”

The main issue regarding the Doha project was that the sand in the Gulf was not ideal.

“It was more shells than sand, so when we started pumping it over long distances it desegregated and became powder and actually turned into silt. And of course, this is not ideal as a foundation for an airport where aircraft are supposed to land…” There were even rumours at the time of commissioning this new airport that when aircraft were landing on the runways it was ‘bumpy’ like going over waves, he says. While DEME’s foundations were solid, the layers placed subsequently for the runway construction, which had been installed by a local contractor, were not sufficiently strong.

120 KM OFFSHORE WITH 1,200 PEOPLE

“And for the SARB Islands, we faced a series of unexpected events: incorrect design base data, while we were supposed to design ‘fit for purpose’, rejection of the permit applications for sand borrowing areas, the underperformance of quarries, which were not able to supply the required quantities of rock, difficulties in compacting the soft ‘shell’ sand of the Gulf, etc.

I think that we had also underestimated what it would be like working 120 km offshore with 1,200 people and a fleet of more than 50 floating units! We were also not protected from the weather and there were frequent winter storms, which was quite a challenge.”

for the extra depth. Additionally, ground anchors were installed from the waterside to further stabilise the wall.

“During execution we noticed that cracks in the sheet piles occurred at the location where holes were cut in to allow the ground anchors to be installed, and yes, we had excessive consumption of grout, and yes, we had noticed some of the sheet piles seemed to move. Our design engineer and our certifying authority remained confident and we completed the job to find out that after our client had refused to take over the works that it was not a case of a few sheet piles moving slightly, but that all the sheet piles had started to move forward, looking like they were pregnant!”

The dispute ended in having to execute a mitigation scheme ordered by the arbitration court in London. “The project did get completed, not by executing a mitigation scheme but by discovering that while designing that scheme, it was actually physically impossible to do the deepening anyway. We were doing some extra soil investigations for that design and found out that there is groundwater under pressure underneath the port. Due to this, when dredging and deepening the wharf, the seabed would burst open and make the wall unstable! So no mitigation scheme but a final settlement agreement with the client and deepening restricted to less than the original target.”

They both look back on their amazing and eventful careers.

SO MUCH MORE THAN ‘SELLING MUD’

BERNARD’S TOP PROJECT – RAYONG, THAILAND

Bernard’s favourite project was the shore approach and landfall for the Second Parallel Pipeline project in Rayong, Thailand, with the cutter ‘Vlaanderen XI’. “The previous Project Manager had been dismissed and sent back to Australia, so I was ‘volunteered’ to replace him on the spot… Thailand is a lovely place to work and it was quite a challenging project with a number of hard rocky outcrops in the alignment of the trench to be dredged. But we were a good team, and together with our supportive Italian main contractor, we managed to find solutions. And at the end of the day, the pipeline was in a trench which looked like spaghetti between the rock outcrops. And we had great food! We were staying in a hotel near the beach and every night could go to a cosy fish restaurant on the beach.”

With a glint in his eye, Bernard stresses: “For me the best years of my career were when I was a Project Manager. It is then that you really see what you are realising, and it is also then that you are earning money for the company.”

Lucas agrees. “Absolutely. I really don’t have any awful projects, even when they are tough, you always learn a lot. And it inevitably gets solved in the end.” This brings him on to one of those ‘tough’ projects, which will always stay with him.

THE PROBLEMS OF ‘PREGNANT’ SHEET PILES

“We had a very challenging project in the port of Southampton where we were deepening and refurbishing an existing quay wall so it could facilitate deeper draught vessels. The quay wall was built with sheet piles and by making very high-pressure grout columns behind those sheet piles these would be reinforced to allow

8

Bernard says, “I really have had a beautiful career, I have really enjoyed every part of it.

And I think we have left a good souvenir to give to the young people. I remember when I signed my contract with Decloedt in 1979, Jean-Jacques De Cloedt, who was then the owner of the company, warned me, saying that I was signing a contract for selling mud, and that I would be selling mud for the rest of my life! And he was correct, but the only thing he didn’t know at that time was that DEME does so many more things than only selling mud!”

Bernard: “The thing is you learn huge amounts from the biggest challenges but there are a few that are the reason I have white hair now!”

sorts of drilling techniques for marine applications. We made directional drilling from water to water work, we took the first steps in wind farm installation in Sweden where our CEO Luc was the Project Manager. I moved to Tideway and could dive into the cable business and I got a spoonful of deep-sea mining. It is incredible to think that we built those first offshore wind farms and they are already becoming old now, and being decommissioned.”

WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES

Lucas contemplates his first interview with the company. “I remember being taken on by Erik Van Baren, part of the Ackermans & van Haaren family. I had to go to his office on the 5th floor. And then he told me the story about dredging and after 30 minutes he said ‘okay you’re taken on!’ I hadn’t even said a word!

I asked why and he said you’re a good listener!”

They both say they have had wonderful opportunities. “I was with a company with 300 people and Bernard even less. And now we are 5,000 plus. We could grow with the company, taste everything on the plate – I think that is now a bit more difficult.

“I have enjoyed every minute of my career,” Lucas emphasises.

THINK SOLUTIONS AND BE A TEAM PLAYER!

When asked what advice they would give youngsters, they both pause. Lucas laughs and says well I think being a good listener is important. “But always be open for everything!

Think in solutions not in problems. Turn challenges into opportunities.”

Ditto, says Bernard. “I have loved managing challenges and coming up with solutions and positive results, even when I’ve had sleepless nights. Today we can be proud of those SARB Islands. We have left physical reminders of our achievements.”

Bernard adds: “Do your best to work in a team, try to be a team player. And always continue to be innovative. Always.” He says it never stops amazing him how DEME has achieved such growth, and with very young people.

So now they are leaving the challenges of DEME’s projects behind and entering a new phase of their life, what new challenges are in store?

Lucas says he has always been extremely lucky to work in parts of the company when something was going on. “When I went to HSS it was already extending its activities in many fields of marine contracting, combining all

Bernard was of course one of our DEME Heroes and is definitely planning to cycle regularly. “I am really thankful for this chance because at the time I wasn’t doing any sport. Alain Bernard nominated me as the ‘volunteer’ as he wanted to have a member of

the Management Team amongst the DEME Heroes! I really enjoyed being part of the cycling team and now it feels very strange if I go a week without being on my bike!”

CYCLING, MENTORING AND LOOKING AFTER THE GRANDCHILDREN

Bernard’s wife Vinciane is a Director in a large school, loving what she is doing, and not ready for retirement yet. But he is hoping that they will manage to explore the Americas together.

He is also joining a Non-profit Organisation called Duo for a JOB, which matches young jobseekers from immigrant backgrounds with older experienced mentors for a joint journey of six months. This initiative is aiming to coach the young mentees and assist them in finding a job, despite all of the hurdles they are facing.

He smiles, saying that his lovely grandchildren will also keep him busy. “Number nine arrived at the end of May, number 10 is due in July and then I need number 11 for a whole football team!”

NEW CAREER PRODUCING WINE

And although retiring, Lucas is embarking on an entirely different career.

“I am becoming a farmhand! My wife Roos is running a farm. We didn’t want to do the traditional crops so with that DEME innovative spirit, we decided to grow grapes, and not traditional ones, but new varieties. In 2006 we established the Valclegge vineyard with 400 vines and now we have 2,000! We produce sparkling and white wine and we are just starting red wine. I think producing 2,000 bottles a year will mean I stay out of trouble! Unless I start drinking them all myself of course!”

FAB FOUR ONBOARD CREW COORDINATOR ‘SPARTACUS’

Anitha Shanmugam

Anitha Shanmugam started her career as a secretary at the DEME subsidiary, International Seaport Dredging in India, and just six years later she has become the first Onboard Crew Coordinator of the most powerful Cutter Suction Dredger in the world ‘Spartacus’! Not only is Anitha the first Crew Coordinator of one of our dredgers, she is also the only woman aboard.

When she originally joined the company in 2014, ISD was reflagging ‘Antigoon’ to the Indian flag and needed someone to assist and help with the crew. A year later Anitha was promoted to become Crew Planner for all the vessels coming to India.

With a degree in fashion and textiles, Anitha admits that the maritime world was not an obvious choice. “I grew up in a small town called Salem, nowhere near the sea. I just like ships! I thought it looked interesting and everything is completely different to the movies and the news. People don’t know about dredgers, so it makes it even more interesting.

During the six years I have spent with DEME I am always learning.”

Keen to progress in the company, Anitha has also successfully completed two Masters, one in Shipping & Port Management and the other in Human Resources.

What makes DEME special for you?

“In my opinion DEME is very special because there is the possibility to do so many things, which opened up my world. I was born in a very remote place, so this is a wonderful way to broaden my horizons. DEME transferred me to Chennai, the HQ of ISD, which was already a very big step. And there I could make contact with a world outside of India, working with different crew members and project managers from all over the globe. This gave me more confidence to work with different people and cultures.”

Anitha’s first ever international trip abroad was when she came to HQ and stayed in Antwerp for a training course. Initially things didn’t go so smoothly. “It was my first foreign trip, I was alone, I was pregnant, was suffering from morning sickness and didn’t really enjoy European food.” She smiles: “Really, after eight days I was ready to quit!”

However, Anitha persevered and later came to Antwerp for 25 days and then 45 days to be part of the Crew Planning team, when she joined ‘Spartacus’ for the sea trials. “I already enjoyed the second time, although it was in January, so the weather was harsh. It was also the first time I had seen snow!”

“I gradually became more confident. And soon I will be going to Egypt, Portugal, Italy… I will be able to see more places whilst performing my job, and DEME made this all possible.

DEME has made me become more openminded. First, I only knew about my own culture. It is great to open up my mind and have respect for other cultures. This makes it very special and luckily, given those initial eight days, it is good that I didn’t give up and neither does DEME!” Is there anyone/something that has influenced your career at DEME in any special way?

“There are so many people, but I would really like to thank Bert Geeraerts, the HR Manager (Maritime) and Wim Franssens, the Crewing Manager Offshore & International Crew.

The reason: they gave me this opportunity!

What do you still dream about?

“I dream of being a good mother, instilling good values in my son Vidhyuth. It is difficult when I am away working for two months. I showed him the YouTube video of ‘Spartacus’ and said that’s was where mummy was going to work. He asked, ‘Can you take me?’ When I explained he’d have to I am so pleased be a bit older (he is 5) he to be going to this said, ‘Don’t worry I will build my own vessel!’” enormous project (It sounds like we already in Egypt, have an early DEME it is very exciting. pioneer)

It is quite an honour to be Spartacus’ Crew Coordinator, particularly in a largely maledominated world – actually 72 men and me!

Additionally, this position would normally be held by a European, so I am very fortunate.”

When ‘Spartacus’ was officially named, the fact that Anitha is the only woman aboard didn’t go unnoticed by the Belgium Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and his wife Mrs Annik Penders, who is the godmother of the vessel. “Mrs Penders was astounded that I was the only woman aboard and was really enthusiastic that I have such an opportunity.”

‘Spartacus’ will almost be seen as the Mother vessel.

Anitha worked alongside Wim and Bert in the Crewing Department. “As I had experience in crewing they offered me the job on ‘Spartacus’. They really believed in me. They always made me feel very welcome, making big efforts to involve me and even trying to translate jokes on Google!”

Which performance are you most proud of ?

“My position! Being aboard this amazing vessel!

I am so pleased to be going to this enormous project in Egypt, it is very exciting. ‘Spartacus’ will almost be seen as the Mother vessel.”

“I also dream about growing further in my career, and being a valuable colleague. Ideally, I would like to become a manager.

I would also love to settle here in Antwerp and bring my son and family.”

Do you have a tip for DEME? “It would be great to see more non-European women and more internationals at DEME, particularly on board. We have a lot of women seafarers in India. And secondly, I think DEME could motivate the staff and crew by bringing the wage gap closer together for those people from different countries doing the same job at the same quality level.”

FAB FOUR – 9

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT SCOTLAND

Sustainability a major focus at the ExxonMobil Bowling project

More than 90 % of material will be reused

Mobilisation for a major remediation project at a former ExxonMobil site in Bowling near Glasgow is well underway, with work officially set to start in September.

Located on the banks of the River Clyde, the site is approximately 40 ha and is heavily polluted with oil. DEC’s own soil washing and stabilisation plants, as well as its water treatment unit, (with a high capacity of 200 m³ per hour), and a field laboratory will soon be arriving, in addition to excavators, dumpers, wheel loaders, oil skimmers, backfilling equipment and mixing units from local suppliers.

The project team, led by Hendrik Nollet, arrived in mid-May and have been preparing the documentation for the extensive permitting process and the site works. Platforms are being constructed with a strengthened floor to accept the treated material and the various installations. Hendrik stresses that the team,

which will be there until at least 2023, are making sure all the safety and quality standards are in place. “It is more a case of steward­ ship. Every task is being evaluated from a safety perspective and we are raising awareness about any potential risks or safety issues.”

Sven Mollet, who joined DEME as DEC’s General Manager Export in 2013, comments that one of the biggest challenges is that virtually all of the contaminated material has to be reused on site due to the stringent requirements of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and our client ExxonMobil. SEPA demanded that we reuse as much as possible to avoid traffic congestion on the roads. There is only one main road and this is a busy one, he adds.

Sven explains that SEPA has well-defined criteria regarding the excavation and treatment specifications, and this is largely due to the Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) agreement (see separate insert) that DEC was awarded. “We can carry out field tests – measure the soil and sample it – and make a very fast decision about the material after excavation. Most of it will be used for backfilling.”

CLOSE-KNIT CLIENT-CONTRACTOR RELATIONSHIP

Platforms are being constructed with a strengthened floor to accept the treated material and the various installations

10 - PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

A close-knit client-contractor relationship is making it much easier to achieve the very high standards, he says. DEC was awarded this contract soon after the successful completion of a four-year refinery remediation project for ExxonMobil in Tønsberg, Norway. “We go together as the client contractor when visiting SEPA and discuss the measurement criteria

and how we are going to execute the works, so all parties are in full alignment.”

Around 400,000 tonnes of soil has to be excavated and of this 100,000-150,000 tonnes is likely to undergo soil washing treatment. Then the sand and gravel fractions from this material will be reused on site. DEME’s focus on promoting a sustainable and circular economy is certainly in evidence as DEC is in fact aiming to reuse more than 90 % of the material and even aims for zero waste if possible.

Hendrik initially joined the R&D Department at DEC in 2004 and then within a few years he was appointed to various posts abroad. “Actually I have never been based in my home country for DEME!” he laughs. He explains that the Bowling project ­represents the ­ultimate sustainable and circular use of resources. “This project is being considered from a sustainability perspective at every moment of the project cycle – from design to execution.” The DEC team will also be applying for a sustainability certification for the project. He outlines a pioneering zero waste initiative that DEC is deploying for the first time.

ZERO WASTE PILOT PROJECT

After the soil washing process the ‘rest fraction’, which can’t be reused on site, is made into filter cakes. These would normally be disposed of in landfill sites. However, DEC has developed a more sustainable alternative and performed a pilot test to see if these filter cakes can instead be turned into expanded clay granules. Samples have been sent to a specialist expanded granule producer in Belgium

Not one droplet of oil must come into the Clyde.

An extensive environmental monitoring programme is in place, as well as an occupational health one to ensure the highest safety standards on the site.

Bowling awarded under an ECI agreement

This project is being considered from a sustainability perspective at every moment of the project cycle – from design to execution

and the lab tests have been successful. If the some special stabilisation actions and they pilot test gives the greenlight, with results will construct new revetment works for the expected in the autumn, it is hoped that client. In addition, the team have to closely more than 15,000 tonnes could be made into monitor odours and gas emissions to air and granules, which can be water. “Not one droplet used for water filtration, of oil must come into the lightweight concrete and Clyde,” stresses Sven. An other uses. Currently, extensive environmental the team are in talks with monitoring programme the authorities in Scotland As well as the is in place, as well as an and Belgium about the occupational health one to focus on the pilot. “This would mean ensure the highest safety circular use of that we have virtually standards on the site too, material, there zero waste on site!” Sven Hendrik adds. emphasises. “This is a cost-­ are several other effective solution and a Another element the team challenges the sustainable one.” have to take some ‘special team are faced equipment’ for is the infaAs well as the focus on the mous Scottish weather. “It with. As it is circular use of material, is pretty extreme, we are situated so close right near the river so it is there are several other to the River Clyde, very wet, cold and windy. challenges the team are faced with. As it is situated I have told the guys that we have to deal so close to the River Clyde, they might want to pack with a tidal range some thermal underwear!” they have to deal with a which can be tidal range which can be Sven jokes. Though between 2 m - 5 m. When between 2 m - 5 m. Hendrik points out that it the tide is low birds flock is lovely and sunny at the to the mudflats in the area moment, but he has been so the operators are limwarned about the harsh ited by restricted working winter weather conditions. times so they don’t disturb For him, come rain or them. The site is also monitored by ecological shine, he has his eyes focused on performing a specialists too and has been designated to be safe and successful remediation project! a site of archaeological interest, therefore it requires a special permit.

Due to the proximity of a railway and a bridge, the team have also had to carry out

The ExxonMobil Bowling project was awarded under an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) agreement. ECIs are becoming more widespread, particularly for complex remediation projects, Siegfried D'Haene, DEC Oil & Gas/Industry Manager explains. “Normally a consultant would describe and design the scope and a contractor would execute it to their design.

But when the project is so complicated, with many different competencies involved, it is important to consider the design and operational competence of the contractor, and it is an advantage to bring them in as early as possible.”

Siegfried has been with DEME since the early days of the company’s focus on environmental activities, joining in 1987.

He describes how this ECI contract came about. “A traditional tendering procedure was actually launched for Bowling but this resulted in several data gaps and risk-­related issues. Contractors were ­essentially ‘forced’ to make conditional bids, which meant the client couldn’t ­really compare the bids properly.”

Therefore, the client asked the contractors to fill in any data gaps by carrying out their own research. “And we were the only ones offered this chance!” With this type of contract trust and transparency on both sides are very important, he stresses.

DEC spent three to four months researching, testing and analysing the material at the site.

“Bowling was a thermal treatment project originally, which has quite some consequences for our fuel costs and production capacity. But the data was not available from the client in the initial tender. And for us, the water content in the soil is a very important factor for the cost calculation.”

IMPORTANT ROLE OF R&D DEPARTMENT

The R&D Department played a vital role in being awarded this project, carrying out the investigations and analysis, he stresses. This then enabled the team to come up with a detailed offer. DEME’s R&D team

carried out several studies, which included predicting potential emissions to the environment. The threshold was then defined and agreed with the client and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

The oil contamination levels in the soil and the mobility of the oil were also examined.

“If there is pure oil in the ground there is a risk it will find its way into the river.” The R&D team also assisted here and designed a methodology to measure the floating oil layer in the excavation pit. “There are always usually discussions about how far we have to skim the oil, which can have a huge impact on logistics and how long you have to be on site and of course, costs,” Siegfried says. “But following thorough research, we defined objective and measurable criteria to be achieved by skimming.”

SEPA agreed with this approach and incorporated it in the remediation plan. This guarantees that the client will get a signoff for the remediation when delivering the works, he says.

EVIDENCE-BASED REMEDIATION

At the end of the day the site has to be free of oil and groundwater monitoring wells will be in place for six months. “In this way the client has more peace of mind, and everything has been agreed with SEPA. We are no longer making judgements about oil-saturated soil, we now have scientific methods to investigate it and monitor it.”

The ECI approach is also welcomed

by SEPA. “Nothing is subjective, it is all evidence-based remediation!” Siegfried adds that it is likely that our R&D team will play an even more important role in the contracting process, as demand for ECI agreements grows.

Ultimately, the ECI process saves time and money when we execute the project, he emphasises. “It is worth obtaining all the data upfront and then there are no discussions with the client or the authorities. Everything is settled beforehand.”

11

MEET THE FLEET

Service Operation Vessel ‘Groenewind’ leaves competitors’ vessels in her wake With more than 50 years of experience between them, Youri Sioen and Alain Abbes, the Captain and Chief Engineer of ‘Groenewind’ have embarked on a new chapter in their careers.

Both with a passion for new challenges, they are clearly proud to be deployed on the world’s first SWATH Service Operation Vessel.

And just a few weeks into their first assignment they have certainly enjoyed putting ‘Groenewind’ through its paces in challenging weather conditions. They are undoubtedly impressed by the SOV’s performance – particularly as they were passing competitors’ vessels which were pitching up and down in the choppy conditions! “We have a stabiliser system when we are travelling at more than 6 knots. Despite the sea states, everything was very smooth. We really wanted to wave at the other Crew Transfer Vessels. We just cruised by with our coffees and not a drop was spilt!” says Youri.

Describing themselves as the ‘Yin and Yang’ of each other, Alain joined the company 30 years ago when he started as a Second Engineer on the hoppers. “I think I have been on almost all of the cutter dredgers. At age 30 I was appointed Chief of the ‘Kallo’ and was actually aboard her for nine years.” ‘D’Artagnan’, ‘Amazone’ followed, and a year on ‘Neptune’, which was when he worked with Youri for the first time.

Youri laughs, “Then he missed me!” Youri started his career in 2000 as an AB on the MultiCat ‘Crocodile’ and then worked on the hoppers until 2015. In his first venture into the offshore industry he became part of the former GeoSea team and was also working on ‘Neptune’ until 2018. Then he went to Croatia to oversee the construction of ‘Apollo’.

They both decided to take on a fresh challenge when they heard about this unique SOV being built. “I just like new things. I am an Ambassador of the ‘Loads of Ideas’ campaign, enjoy innovation and new technology. This project really intrigued me. The hull form, the power management system, heat recovery system…” Alain says.

deep-sea mining division! This was written about way back in the eighties and now it’s slowly happening.”

They are both acutely aware that the whole industry is watching and keeping a close eye on how ‘Groenewind’ is performing, as this new vessel type enters the offshore wind industry.

And their first days out gave them a great opportunity to showcase what the vessel is made of.

Three days before the inauguration ‘Groenewine’ arrived from its maiden trip from Turkey to Ostend. “We had a DEME family day until around 3 pm and just three hours later we were already sailing out with the client to the SeaMade offshore wind farm,” Youri explains. Alain stresses: “Yes we don’t waste energy and we don’t waste time!”

Alain explains that the SOV has a combined gangway and crane. “Usually Walk to Work ships have a gangway and an extra crane for handling materials. But ‘Groenewind’ combine this into one.” This means the crew don’t need to continually reposition the vessel.

A trolley under the gangway has a capacity for 2 tonnes at a range of 32 m. “It is very easy to deploy. Technicians typically have lot of bags and tools. We can get people on the turbine and then half a dozen bags lifted over in less than 30 minutes,” adds Youri.

The Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) concept is also key. Most Walk to Work vessels have gangways in the centre of the ship but with the new SWATH concept everything is in the front, which makes our

UNRIVALLED STABILITY

“She is designed for a 2.5 m significant wave height and the vessel is as steady as a rock – even in 3.8 m!” Youri stresses. Representatives from the gangway manufacturer SMST were also on board and keen to see how far she could go. “We reached the limits and went beyond. Of course this was a test, so the technicians were not allowed on the towers. But we wanted to go for the landings and see what was possible.”

“This vessel design simply didn’t exist!”

He recalls his earlier career and the TSHD ‘Antwerpen IV’. “I remember having to grease everything by hand, I had a very strong thumb!

And the engine was five times bigger. We have so much horsepower now.”

Youri agrees: “Like Alain, I like new things.

That is why it’s so nice to work for DEME. The company is never afraid to take up a challenge. Look what’s happening in our

‘Groenewind’ will serve three offshore wind farms – SeaMade (Mermaid and Seastar) and Rentel. Other vessels have difficulty serving Rentel particularly because the wind

12 – MEET THE FLEET

They point to the many new innovations on the vessel.

The weather was quite challenging despite it being July. “The weather was actually worse than expected. But we performed tests to see how far she could go and we still managed five landings with the motion compensation gangway. This vessel is so stable.”

“The North Sea can change very quickly.

This gives the technicians a lot of confidence.

They know we can get them back on board and that they won’t have to sleep in the nacelle overnight should bad weather hit.” They smile, adding that on the other hand the technicians know they will have to work harder and longer when they come with ‘Groenewind’ because the vessel can work in higher sea states and bad weather. “She just didn’t roll, we connected the gangway and it wasn’t moving. We almost waltz over the water!”

NEW VESSEL DESIGN

comes in from the north, Youri explains.

“The technicians told us that with single hulls, the gangway moves all of the time and sometimes they can’t get people on.”

This motion compensated gangway is built to safely transfer technicians to the wind turbines

Beautiful sunset from aboard the ‘Groenewind’

We really wanted to wave at the other Crew Transfer Vessels.

We just cruised by with our coffees and not a drop was spilt.

workable angle up to 180°, he says. That results in a greater angle to position the vessel in wind, waves and current.

IMPRESSIVE POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

The power management system is also particularly impressive, Alain says. “It is designed for fuel efficiency and the MTU engines are fantastic. The power is so effectively divided between the consumers, it is a really advanced, integrated solution.” Youri stresses: “We consume what we ask for and we only get what we need.” Overall, we are consuming less, but doing the same, they add. For example they point to the heat recovery system, which warms the accommodation and showers etc.

“We are reusing all the energy and trying to consume as little as possible.”

Waste management is also high on the agenda.

“We are reducing waste as much as possible and have several green initiatives implemented.

These can be small things like reusable lunch boxes rather single-use plastic ones.”

It is no wonder that all eyes are on ‘Groenewind’. Youri says: “Currently the industry has to charter larger vessels, with larger engines using more fuel, which in turn means more costs. With the SWATH SOV everything is combined into 62 m × 23 m!”

Additionally, ‘Groenewind’ has a daughter craft (capacity for 10 people and 1,000 kg

load), which is a very fast service boat. “Instead of sending CTVs from Ostend we can deploy it for fast troubleshooting,” he adds.

LOOKING FORWARD TO WINTER

Their enthusiasm and their belief in this new vessel type are clear. Youri comments: “We are two old brothers of the DEME family.

We started from the bottom and climbed up.

I am thankful to DEME and the opportunities they have given us and for my last two captains for all their guidance.”

“I started as a Second Engineer and DEME ‘formed me’ through courses, education – ensuring that I got my ticket to be here today,” Alain stresses.

Youri emphasises: “We would like to say a big thank you to the crew, our colleagues – it was challenging but we managed to get everything done on time. And thank you to the R&D Department for this amazing SWATH concept and the communications team for their assistance during the inauguration.”

“Yes we showed our true One DEME spirit!

Everyone is fully committed,” Alain adds.

They laugh, saying that they are among very few people looking forward to the wintertime.

“We want to see ‘Groenewind’ prove herself in all seasons and we are sure she will.”

The Crew of ‘Groenewind’ enjoying the naming ceremony of their vessel in June 2021

13

SNAPSHOT FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD MATES, THE “REAL” ENGINE OF OUR VESSELS

“We like to keep each other on our toes and make sure we maintain the high production levels on board.”

Keeping production levels as high as possible is undoubtedly the goal of Matthijs Van den Keybus and Jef Floren, the First and Second Mate of ‘Bonny River’. The whole of the crew is focused on the same goal, they say, and indeed there is also a sense of healthy competition going on – with the guys keeping a close eye on other members of the DEME fleet!

At the time of the interview, ‘Bonny River’ was off the coast of Norway, heading for Murmansk for a few days where they would have to wait for the ice to melt before sailing to Sabetta. ‘Bonny River’ had just undergone some repairs in Vlissingen after returning from Abu Qir in Egypt.

First Mate Matthijs describes how he came to join DEME, which is not the usual route to becoming a seafarer. “Ha-ha, I am not a typical dredger! First I had a career ashore as a damage surveyor for an insurance company for 11 years. But at a certain moment I came home after being employed for eight years and my wife said it was time to look for another job.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of fraud in insurance and you tend to take the negatives from your workload home with you. We thought about what else I had always enjoyed and the answer was sailing pleasure craft. Immediately that night I started looking for a college and enrolled straightaway, working to get my unlimited ship licence in combination with my full-time job.”

alongside Matthijs for a few years. Jef comments: “The Captain of ‘Brabo’ Christophe Van den Berghe asked us to join him on ‘Bonny River’ and we went for a new adventure on a newbuild!”

a teacher at the college, and Matthijs was sold on the idea of a dredging career. His first vessel was ‘Uilenspiegel’, then ‘Brabo’ for 5.5 years and now ‘Bonny River’. “I have no regrets at all, and I am still grateful to my wife!”

Describing his role, Jef says he assists the First Mate in charge of the Watch. “I help Matthijs wherever I can. He needs to eat and be relieved from his tasks, and I have to take over. Matthijs’ workload is very high, so it is my job to dredge or stand-in for him.”

Jef studied at the Antwerp Maritime Academy and had actually been introduced to the dredging world by a friend who worked for a competitor. “I thought the job sounded very interesting. Then in my third year I did an internship on ‘Breughel’ and decided this was something I definitely wanted to pursue.”

After graduating he joined ‘Brabo’ and worked

Matthijs adds: “The Second Mate also has a lot of responsibilities on a DEME vessel in general, and particularly on ‘Bonny River’ which is more demanding than most other vessels.

The technical installation is more complex. Jef has to take control on deck, carry out inspections when the pipe comes back on board or if there are breakdowns.”

Then Matthijs met the former crewing manager of DEME, Frank Verbesselt who was also

We often get the comment from crew from other vessels when they visit the ship that they won’t be able to find their way out of the complex labyrinth on board.

Jef (right) says: “I help Matthijs wherever I can. He needs to eat and be relieved from his task"

14 – SNAPSHOT

RAINBOWING IN ABU QIR

When working in Abu Qir, alongside six other DEME vessels, the mates would alternate, with one keeping the vessel in position and one performing the rainbowing, Matthijs explains. Abu Qir is already a career highlight for both of them. For Jef, it was for sure the rainbowing. “I have really enjoyed it as I had never rainbowed before.”

For Matthijs it is the fact that there are so many of the green fleet working on the project.

“It is really great to recognise the guys you know from other vessels on the VHF. Abu Qir is such an impressive project.” “We are making progress in a very short time. I think it is over half a million cubes in 24 hours!” Jef adds.

They both enjoy the technology aboard and indeed, the sheer scale of ‘Bonny River’. “She is unique with this incredibly long dredge pipe

able to dredge up to 104 m.” Additionally, Bonny River’s other pipe has a very large, multi­ purpose draghead. Jef emphasises: “A typical draghead would normally be 35-40 tonnes and this one is 75 tonnes! As well as this, she has enormous jets to penetrate the soil and seabed and the holes under the draghead are probably 4-5 times larger than other dredgers.”

Matthijs says he really likes working with the two dredging pipes and the underwater pump.

“You don’t find the combination of these techniques on another vessel.”

ONE-MAN OPERATED BRIDGE

‘Bonny River’ also has a one-man operated bridge. “We still have vessels that have a pipe operator dredging and a mate navigating.

Sailing and dredging come together on ‘Bonny River’, which I prefer,” says Jef. Matthijs stresses that the one-man bridge makes it a challenge, but a very interesting one. “You are dredging, navigating, having contact with other vessels…

For example on the Elbe project we also had a pilot on board, but you are still checking traffic, manoeuvring, making calculations, keeping an eye on other vessels in the location, considering when to turn and it is highly likely that there will be a 400 m container vessel sailing towards you too.”

“I think ‘Bonny River’ is also one of the most challenging jobs for the engineers and electricians, which are all top-notch guys. With the many switchboards on board and high degree of automation, it is very complicated.” “Yes, we often get the comment from crew from other vessels when they visit the ship that they won’t be able to find their way out of the complex labyrinth on board,” Jef says.

Sabetta will be a new experience for both of them. In Russia before they sign on, they have to be in quarantine for 14 days and stay longer on board. But they are hopeful that crew changes will be easier this time around, allowing the crew to enjoy their summer holidays.

OPEN-MINDED CULTURE

They are both looking forward to the return to Egypt and in Jef ’s case, particularly the rainbowing. Matthijs smiles: “We like to keep each other on our toes and make sure we maintain the high production levels on board. It is nice to challenge each other!” “Yes we really try to keep the production schedule as finely tuned as possible, down to minutes, even seconds!”

Jef says.

But actually the wish to keep production levels high is the goal of the whole ship, they

TSHD ‘Bonny River’, the second home for Matthijs and Jef

point out. “We always aim for improvement and therefore also ask the officers of the other watch about the techniques they used during the rainbowing process. We have a very openminded culture between the teams and share tips,” Matthijs adds.

They admit they keep a keen eye on production rates of the other vessels. And although they won’t reveal the results, you get the feeling that you don’t need to ask if ‘Bonny River’ is one of the most productive ones!

Working on the fantastic ‘DPFPV Flintstone’ Sander Spillebeen, Third Mate of the Dynamic Positioning Fall Pipe Vessel ‘Flintstone’, says there is never a dull moment working aboard this hi-tech vessel.

He is in awe of the expertise and technical wizardry of the crew, especially the First Mates and ROV pilots.

Wishing to study both the nautical and technical side of the maritime world, Sander attended the De Ruyter Maritime Academy in the Netherlands. While there he did a sixmonth internship on ‘Lange Wapper’ and a general cargo vessel. But when he graduated in 2018 there was no doubt where he was heading to, and he joined DEME and the ‘Flintstone’.

“The maritime industry had always intrigued me. Everything is really enormous on board and it is a specialised world. Despite the fact that the sector is such an important part of our life and the world economy no one really knows about it, unless you work inside the industry.

advanced techniques.” And you are able to fully specialise yourself within a certain field with constant and rapidly changing hi-tech equipment.”

Sander is extremely pleased to be working on the DP2 fallpipe fleet.

ROCK DUMPING IS SPECIAL

“Rock dumping is a very special sector; it is precise work, you need to think about everything carefully and be willing to learn continuously.”

Diversity and variety are key aspects of the job that he enjoys. “ ‘Flintstone’ is very busy, sometimes there is a new project every week and this can increase to two or even three projects a week. One minute, fallpipe vessels are servicing the oil & gas sector, perhaps covering pipelines, and the next they are in the renewables sector protecting cables, performing seabed preparation or installing scour protection at turbine locations.”

PASSION FOR DP

“I applied to DEME because it is a large company and able to offer a variety of experiences in different sectors, from land reclamation to offshore, so there is immense scope for your career and DEME works with very

"As a Third Mate my role is very broad. It is never boring on the ‘Flintstone’!”

Sander’s favourite projects are any projects involving Dynamic Positioning 2 close to structures! He refers to a recent top project where ‘Flintstone’ was performing various tasks at the Johan Sverdrup oil field in the North Sea. “I really enjoy DP2 projects. At the Johan Sverdrup platforms we were rock dumping and surveying very close to the structures. The vessel was working under the bridge of the connection between the platforms, covering pipes, umbilicals, cables, constructing a slope for another pipe, making berms for crossings…”

This was also in a water depth of 115 m, so the fallpipe vessel had to make use of the whole automatic sequence for the pipe building.

“It is vital to have a lot of experience to perform DP2 operations and the pipe building.

We had to build it up quickly and it was nice to see lots of pipes in the tower and the pipe sections flashing before your eyes. It was amazing teamwork – everyone is hyperaware and focused. We had to be as fast as possible, and as good as possible.”

He also enjoyed working on the Baltic Pipe crossing. “We had to build up a big slope and rock berm for the Nord Stream pipe, which has been in the headlines of course, and there was quite a time pressure as well. It was a large-scale project and precise work.

We were also sailing close to Bornholm island and had beautiful flat sea and many sailing boats going by.”

As he is a fully qualified Dynamic Positioning Operator, Sander spends most of the time working alongside the ROV pilot and Project Engineer under the supervision of the First Mate. “As a Third Mate my role is very broad.

Part of my job also involves sailing the vessel, performing mooring operations, safety and maintenance. I assist the ROV pilot in building up the equipment… This makes it very interesting. It is never boring on the ‘Flintstone’!”

ADVANCED EQUIPMENT

‘Flintstone’ has a capacity of 20,000 tonnes and can perform rock placement in staggering depths of up to 2,000 m at a rate of 2,300 tonnes an hour. “It is incredible to work with so much advanced equipment,” Sander stresses, from the ROV to the tower pipe. “‘Flintstone’ has a very special tower which can install pipes semi-automatically and it is incredibly fast – around 2.5 minutes per pipe section – with each one nearly 12 m long. When you see the vessel in action going fully automatic, it is amazing. The pipes are stored horizontally and then upended and pushed in through the vessel and connected with a bayonet coupling. They pass by in a flash! This tower is one of a kind!” There are very few people in the world who are experts in this type of technology, he points out.

Dealing with different rock gradings is another part of the job he enjoys. “It is really a skill to perform the correct calculations because it is never possible to know exactly what the environment is like below sea level. We have to consider tidal currents, subsea currents, the seabed itself, the drift of the vessel, ROV positioning, whether the rocks will submerge into the seabed or whether they will be ‘blown away’ given the velocity of the fallpipe.”

EXPERT TEAM

For this reason he is keen to gain as much experience as possible. “Sometimes people don’t realise what goes on under a fallpipe vessel. The expertise and experience of the Flintstone’s crew is crucial. For example, if you are placing a small or large rock, there can be a two metre difference when it lands.

Then there is the swell and avoiding the pipeline being crushed. Typically, we dump rocks 6-12 m above the seabed and the offset (how far the rocks fall once they exit the last pipe underwater) can be 1-8 m. There can also be very strong underwater currents around the legs of platforms, and where the cooling water outlet is. And the First Mate and ROV operator have to make decisions on the spot.

That is why it takes a lot of experience.”

Sander highlights an example of this expertise which was inspiring, he says. ‘Flintstone’ had a small breakdown and Sander was expecting this to lead to several hours delay in the schedule. “But the wizards – the ROV operator, First Mate and Project Engineer – went into action and changed the rock placement strategy by recalculating everything.

They increased the tonnage a little, upped the rate from 1,500 to 1,750 tonnes an hour, adapted the sailing speed and we were back on schedule again!

NEVER BORING

“Everything had to be calculated again and there have to be the right strategies when things change to be able to make these swift decisions. It is so nice but challenging. And for sure never boring – I think I am in the right spot!”

Sander is keen to take the next step in his career and to become an ROV pilot and eventually he would also like to become a captain.

“There is always this special feeling aboard a ship and when we make the crew changes and sail away with the crew boat, taking a last look back at the vessel it is a spectacular view, and makes everyone silent. ‘Flintstone’ is really impressive and if you are the captain of such a large vessel, with all that responsibility, it is very unique.”

15

FAB FOUR PROJECT MANAGER ROCK PLACEMENT

Cristina Vasilache Cristina Vasilache, Project Manager Rock Placement et DEME Offshore, joined the company in the summer of 2013.

Born in Romania, Cristina has a BSc in Civil Engineering and an MSc in Construction Management & Engineering from TU Eindhoven. Cristina laughs when explaining how she arrived at DEME’s door: “I was keen to gain experience abroad, so I attended a job fair. I confess I knew nothing about the offshore industry originally but I spotted this big, green vessel at one of the exhibition booths and heard that there are also women working on board. I said to myself this is a great opportunity, I have to be a part of it!”

A standout project for me was Mexico. There was a really good team.

It was a lot of hard work but there were some lovely highlights because we really got involved in the local community.

What makes DEME special for you?

“Previously I worked for a small construction company in Romania, where there were only two women, including me. At DEME there are plenty of opportunities for everyone – it doesn’t matter if you are a woman or foreign, there is always the possibility to grow if you work hard and are prepared to go for it.

For example, my DEME career has mainly centred on the Rock Placement Department.

I started tendering but wanted to move on to the Operations Department so I could be on the ‘front line’ so to speak. And I have never regretted it! Initially my responsibilities included being based at the rock loading site, coordinating vessels, stockpiling and dealing with the subcontractors.

Additionally, I was lucky enough to sail on board a fallpipe vessel – the most beautiful vessels in the industry in my opinion! I started

off as a Project Engineer, and was then promoted to become a Superintendent. I think it is really special to be given equal opportunities.

I worked on projects in the North Sea, Canada, the Mediterranean, Baltic and I am keen to go further. I still miss the fallpipe vessels.

Later on, I was appointed Project Manager and worked in Europe and Mexico. I enjoy being a PM because I want to be able to combine technical and practical experience. It is great to take on the next challenge and opportunity that DEME has given me!”

Is there anyone/something that has influenced your career at DEME in any special way?

“A lot of women at DEME are my role models in the Rock Placement Department and offshore. But generally, people in the company really help you shape your career. They place trust in you, give you responsibility and push you to perform to the best of your ability.

I have very supportive colleagues, who not only help me with technical information, they also help me develop the soft skills. I had to learn to have patience for example. I am far from a master of it, but it is definitely improving! There are many people with inspiring leadership skills at DEME. Everyone is willing to share their experience and knowledge on the vessels, project sites and in the office.

DEME has created a group of people that have shared values, there is a good working atmosphere and a sense of togetherness. This encourages you to push yourself and you know you have the support of your team mates and managers.”

Which performance are you most proud of ?

“I would say any offshore wind project because I like to see that we are having a positive impact on the environment. However, a standout project for me was Mexico and this was an oil & gas project. We performed multiple pipeline protection jobs over the course of a year. There was a really good team. It was a lot of hard work but there were some lovely highlights because we really got involved in the local community. The project team asked the crew if they would like to participate and they were so enthusiastic, it was fantastic. I will never forget the crew doing the warm-up exercises and dancing with the school children on the beach – they all joined in.

We also visited an orphanage and made breakfast for the children, brought toys and sweets and we stayed throughout the day, playing ‘princesses and football’! So in Mexico the DEME team definitely left something behind.”

What do you still dream about?

“I have dreams to travel all over the world, to see different cultures and beautiful people.

On the professional front, I want to stay in the Operations Department if possible and keep on developing as a Project Manager. I would like to work on even more complex, interdisciplinary projects so I can broaden my horizons.

Additionally, I am interested in contract management to further develop my skills on this side as well.”

Do you have a tip for DEME? “This is not easy to explain. But when I joined Tideway (now DEME Offshore) I was only the second international person at our office in Breda. DEME is growing and expanding and it is becoming more and more inclusive.

I hope they stay on this path and keep gathering talents from all over the world. It is a nice atmosphere we have here and you can also see that since the creation of DEME Offshore it is much more integrated. So keep on this track I would say.”

16 – FAB FOUR

INCIDENT 1 Broken ribs due to falling in an open manhole

INCIDENT 2 Head stitches due to a mistake during vertical anchor installation

INCIDENT 3 Leg fractures due to inattention during TP preparations

INCIDENT 4 Leg fractures due to mistake during reclamation works

SAFETY FOCUS

CHILD Safety Stand-Down a wake-up call to stay vigilant This year CHILD (Colleagues Help Injuries Leave DEME) kicked off with a Safety Stand-Down Day in April. The campaign focused on both the experiences of employees who were injured and their colleagues who witnessed the incidents.

WATCH THE VIDEOS Despite this impressive turnout, we would urge you to either watch the videos for the first time or to refresh your knowledge

CLICK HERE

SHARE YOUR SAFETY SUCCESS STORIES Do you have practical solutions that others can benefit from? Stop your colleagues from re-inventing the wheel and share your Safety Success Stories with them!

CLICK HERE

Imagine if you had a telephone call saying one of your colleagues ‘is hit by a rolling pipe’, had been ‘hit on the head with a gripper’, or even ‘Mayday, Mayday’… or imagine if one of your relatives receives such a call, to learn that you have been injured… This is what actually happened in the four cases highlighted.

The event had very high participation levels with more than 4,000 people involved worldwide, including our ‘Green Jade’ team in Taiwan where 600+ people took part.

Additionally, more than 500 Team Leaders and Captains attended two live briefing events in the preparation phase.

Our colleagues have been very brave in coming forward and discussing these alarming events, which highlight how life can change in a split second. While our colleagues have sustained serious injuries, resulting in months of revalidation, there is also no doubt the outcome could easily have been even worse. They are keen to share their stories so everyone can learn from these accidents so we can make sure that they are never repeated.

CEO Luc Vandenbulcke and Chief Operating Officer Koen Vanderbeke introduced the Safety Stand-Down Day by stressing that they absolutely do not accept that people are getting hurt. “Our goal is to have each of you returning safely from work, every day again.”

They outline the importance of our safety tools ‘Take 5’ and the ‘Licence to Stop’.

WHAT WENT WRONG? VS. WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

He is proud of the participants in the videos.

“It really took courage for our colleagues to speak up and relate their story. We all understand these incidents can happen in a split second when there is maybe a momentary lapse of concentration. Our team want to applaud them for sharing their experiences with the whole group. We can all learn from these cases so we can avoid them in the future.”

CHILD Project Manager Diederik Ryckaert explains that the Safety Week is a yearly initiative where HIgh POtential (HIPO) incidents – incidents with the potential to go wrong or have a worse outcome – are being examined and explained. This year there is a focus on ‘being in the line of fire’ which means being Our goal is to in the danger zone: a place have each of where you can get crushed, hit you returning or caught in between somesafely from thing. But this Stand-Down really shows what happens work, every day when things do go wrong. again.

Three of the four cases actually relate to ‘being in the line of fire’ and all of them are classed as LTI incidents.

TAKE 5 & LICENCE TO STOP

Most of these incidents involved routine work and safety basics, emphasises Diederik. Hence the two major focal points of the Safety StandDown were the use of Take 5 – DEME’s own last-minute risk assessment – and the use of our Licence to Stop.

Diederik comments: “The Take 5 process makes us reflect and check if we are really prepared. Have all the checks been done? Are the mitigation controls in place? Step back!

Reassess and use your Licence to Stop if the work cannot be executed safely.”

DO YOU RECOGNISE THESE SITUATIONS ON YOUR SITE OR VESSEL?

As well as watching the film, teams were asked to have a discussion internally about near misses or potential risks, he adds. “Is this situation recognisable at our site/ on our vessel? Do we run these risks? By using the Take 5 card, could you have changed the outcome of a recent incident?” Officebased employees were encouraged to reflect on their home situation, where accidents often occur too.

HOW ARE YOU STAYING OUT OF THE LINE OF FIRE?

Following the Safety Week, everyone was asked to think about Safety Success stories too. “We also need to consider what goes well and sharing this knowledge with our colleagues.” Currently we are collecting these Safety Success Stories and the best ones will be highlighted during the Safety Moment Day at the beginning of December.

SAFETY FOCUS – 17

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT POLAND

Tackling the first Polish project in DEME’s history along the ŚwinoujścieSzczecin fairway A complex Design & Build contract, mobilising during COVID lockdowns, ice conditions, and one of the largest UXO campaigns in DEME’s history, are just some of the challenges the team working on the Świnoujście-Szczecin fairway project have had to deal with in the last 2.5 years. At its peak, more than 35 vessels and hundreds of people were deployed on the three-year project, which is being performed in a joint venture with Van Oord.

Despite the various challenges, the team is firmly on course to complete the project on schedule

The Świnoujście-Szczecin fairway starts at the city of Świnoujście and ends at the Port of Szczecin, which is 66 km further inland.

The project team is tasked with deepening the fairway by two metres to -12.5 m, which enables the Port of Szczecin to handle much larger vessels. The fairway is also being widened. In a 5 km section the team had to expand it from 100 m to 250 m to allow two vessels to pass. The scope involves capital dredging of around 25 million m3 and the dredged material is used to create two artificial islands in the Szczecinski Lagoon. Additionally, extensive civil works are being performed.

Benny Anthonissen is the Works Manager.

He started his DEME career 13 years ago and for the first seven years he was sailing aboard the hoppers. In 2015, Benny became Superintendent and worked in Singapore for three years on TTP1. In 2018 he moved to Poland with his family for the current project, first as the UXO Works Manager, and later he became responsible for the Dredging and Reclamation Works.

Project Controls Manager Boris Vandekerckhove has been with DEME since 2012. He joined the Masterdesk originally and worked on tenders including the Sabetta project. He also worked alongside Benny at TTP1 in preparation for an upcoming tender. Boris was the Tender Manager when DEME was awarded the Polish project in September 2018.

He then became part of the team, heading up the Project Controls Department.

Jonathan Martens, Project Engineer and Deputy Works Manager, joined DEME straight after graduating. He was appointed to the Poland project two years ago and since then most of his time has been spent dealing with the enormous UXO scope, though he is now busy with rock works. Jonathan smiles, saying given the enormous UXO scope of

18 – PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Świnoujście-Szczecin, it is quite a privilege to work on such a special project so early on in your career.

ONE OF THE LARGEST UXO CAMPAIGNS IN DEME’S HISTORY

The UXO campaign is quite something, even given DEME’s extensive experience.

The initial survey campaign alone, carried out by our specialist colleagues at G-tec, took seven months to complete. G-tec conducted most of the survey works for identifying potential UXO using an underwater towed set of magnetometers to detect magnetic anomalies (ferrous objects which could be UXO) in the Earth’s Magnetic Field. Amazingly nearly 60,000 objects were recovered and 1,830 of these were indeed UXOs. As well as this, several archaeological items were discovered including a medieval sword and axe, which are now exhibited in museums in Poland.

And given the history of the area, including being a major battlefront which was subject to heavy bombardments in World War Two, the engine of a downed Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was also discovered and identified as a missing aircraft by the DPAA, a US government defence agency. The DPAA is funded by the US government to find and bring back the remains of missing American soldiers across the world. The project team also had to deal with an unexploded ‘Tallboy’ bomb, a so-called earthquake bomb. This meant turning to historical research, including military archived video footage of air raids, and identifying where the bombs that hadn’t exploded had landed. After a year of research and preparations, the Tallboy was safely detonated by the Polish Navy.

UXO clearance got underway in May 2019 and eventually finished in March 2021.

Benny points out that the first year of the project was all about preparations and the

UXO campaign. “Although we have a lot of experience, it has never been on the same scale before.” Jonathan adds: “Yes, we knew the historical importance of the fairway over the last 100 years so we understood that we already had quite a task on our hands.” Therefore, the team worked with Explosive Ordnance Disposal experts who performed a risk assessment (desktop study) based on historical research. They then advised on the survey set-up and created possible UXO inventory lists specified for different areas. Finally, they also advised on additional safety measures during the dredging works to further mitigate the risk of encountering UXOs, he explains.

20,000 TARGET LOCATIONS TO INVESTIGATE

“However, after surveying a 62 km long fairway, this resulted in a huge amount of data. This was initially processed by G-tec but it was so extensive we brought another company in to assist with the data processing,” he says.

A ‘Master Target List’ was the result, with more than 20,200 target locations to investigate! Three dedicated subcontractors investigated each one of these locations and cleared them one by one, mainly deploying divers.

Being responsible for the disposal of the UXO, the team also worked closely with the Polish Navy and Army.

“This was even more complex because we were working in an active and busy fairway. At the peak we had 12 dive spreads in operation, which required a lot of coordination and intensive cooperation between the different parties to maintain the stringent safety standards. There were actually over 50,000 dives in the end!” An ROV was mobilised, but due to poor visibility it was not so effective compared to the dive spreads, Jonathan says.

Another important part of the UXO scope was the contract conditions related to payment, Boris says. “We were only paid for items

above 20 kg but we still had to pay our subcontractors for objects with a lighter weight.

This was quite a risk and hard to assess at the tender stage.” Additionally, the tender survey, performed by the Employer, had heavily underestimated the number of UXO, he adds.

“But we managed quite well after the initial few weeks by changing the survey approach and target list.”

MOBILISING DURING THE PANDEMIC

As well as this major UXO campaign, the team had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, but they still managed to mobilise despite the fact that both Belgium and Poland had gone into full lockdowns. Benny explains that they were just on the verge of mobilising the CSD ‘Amazone’ in March 2020 when COVID really hit. “We had to get the whole mobilisation plan approved by our Employer (the Government), and get special permission to enter from the Polish border guards. The crew had to quarantine for two weeks before sailing to the site. And we also had to have approval from the management for the whole mobilisation plan,” Benny says. But by working closely with all the local authorities and stakeholders, ‘Amazone’ eventually arrived end-April and started dredging on May 1.

As the crew couldn’t quarantine aboard ‘Amazone’ they had to stay in a local hotel and transfer on a daily basis with private crew boats and buses. “The crew remained in their own bubble.” Very modestly Benny says, “It was full lockdown, but we still managed.

It was quite an interesting period.”

FIRST DESIGN & BUILD PROJECT IN POLAND

Another major complexity is that this is the first Design & Build project in Poland. Boris says this meant that it was quite a struggle to get the design approved for the revetment works for the two artificial islands. Island W22 has a diameter of 1.25 km and will serve as a

As well as a major UXO campaign, the team had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, but they still managed to mobilise despite the fact that both Belgium and Poland had gone into full lockdowns.

“With ‘Scheldt River’ we achieved the first LNG bunkering of any vessel in the Port of Szczecin"

nature compensation area for breeding birds, once completed. Island W28 has a diameter of 1.78 km and will be used as a storage area for dredged material during future maintenance campaigns along the fairway.

“This project appeared to be completely different to other Design & Build contracts we have experienced before. It was difficult to get the design approved for the revetment works for example. The design ‘sketch’ included in the tender documentation turned out to be a ‘more or less’ fixed design and this limited the design freedom, but due to the soil conditions and other parameters, it simply couldn’t be built. This led to a significant variation procedure which took a while to get approved and delayed the design process.”

TWO ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS BUILT IN SOFT SOIL CONDITIONS

The islands are constructed on a seabed of -6 m and a significant (2-8 m) layer of soft soil, Boris explains. The reclamation bunds

were initially built underwater by CSD ‘Amazone’, together with a spreader pontoon and then ‘Scheldt River’. Later on, TSHD ‘Vox Amalia’ from Van Oord brought them above the waterline. “From a geotechnical point of view this was a challenge. After the underwater and above water bund were constructed there was a waiting period required for natural consolidation to make sure the heavy excavation equipment could work on top of the bund.” In early August 2021, Island W22 was still settling and some final shaping of the island was due to be carried out. However, birds had started breeding there, so it is already proving to be a big success as a nature compensation area.

TOP PERFORMANCE BY OUR VESSELS

Benny points to the terrific performance of our vessels and crew. The two sister vessels ‘Scheldt River’ and ‘Meuse River’ were working alongside each other for around three months. “With ‘Scheldt River’ we achieved the first LNG bunkering of any vessel in the

Port of Szczecin and both TSHDs achieved their furthest pumping distances (> 5.5 km)!”

However, it started with ‘Scheldt River’ and ‘Amazone’ working very well together, even though they were in a relatively remote area in the middle of a lagoon and working in a busy traffic lane. The team laugh saying they are very grateful to the Tender Department: “I think this is the first project where the vessels that were foreseen during the tender stage actually came to the site!”

Benny adds that the ‘Amazone’ crew also did extremely well constructing the bund because quite long pumping distances were involved.

“The shortest distance was 3.5 km and ‘Amazone’ actually managed up to 7.9 km!

I believe this is the longest pumping distance she has ever achieved.”

However, because the Świnoujście-Szczecin fairway is very busy it was a challenge dealing with all the vessels, particularly when they had to widen the fairway. “We placed additional navigational aids and rerouted traffic around ‘Amazone’,” Benny says. He gives an example of just how tight it was sometimes. “The fairway is mainly 90 to a 100 m wide and ‘Vox Amalia’ is already 36 m wide, which increases to 50 m wide when she is dredging.”

WONDERFUL TEAM

The dredging was successfully completed on July 31 of this year and the team is now focusing on finishing off some civil works such as placing new navigation aids, performing revetment works, sheet piling and installing new cables. A final maintenance campaign is due to take place by February 2022, with the whole project set for completion by end-March.

To celebrate the milestone of finalising the dredging scope a Family Day was held where everyone was given the chance to go on a tour of the fairway and the islands, and this was followed by a barbeque. Other team events include a weekly football tournament between the main office in Szczecin and the project office in Trzebież, a village situated closer to the lagoon. Benny and Jonathan seemed to have a difference of opinion about which team is winning but they have a few more months to sort it out.

Despite the various challenges, they are firmly on course to complete the project on schedule, and they all stress that this is only possible because of the support from the local authorities, a successful cooperation with Van Oord and a wonderful team in Poland.

THICK ICE

The Świnoujście-Szczecin fairway starts at the city of Świnoujście and ends at the Port of Szczecin, which is 66 km further inland

And last but not least, the project team had nature itself to contend with, as the ice arrived and could be up to 25 cm thick in some places.

“We knew of course there was a high risk of ice, but in the first two years we were lucky and then just when we had two TSHDs on site everything was frozen over!” Benny remarks.

“The islands were surrounded by ice and we had to bring in an accommodation vessel to allow the TSHDs to continue as long as possible, as well as chartering an icebreaker.

All the crew boats and Multicats had to be evacuated or were being taken out of the water.”

19

Benaissa El Aissaoui, Software Engineer

Timothy Bonner, System Engineer

Kurt Van de Walle, Department Manager

Peter Nobels, System Engineer

Sven Van Roeyen, System Manager

Ahmed Al Falahy, System Engineer

Kristof De Mey, Business Partner

Gudrun Vanschoonwinkel, IT Office Manager

Jonas Van De Velde, Helpdesk Coordinator

BACKSTAGE

Let’s get down to BISSness!

While no one ever thought DEME would have to be prepared for a pandemic, the Business Information Systems and Services (BISS) team had certainly already made sure that our 5,000 plus employees had the right IT systems in place to quickly switch to working from home – flexibility that proved absolutely crucial. DEME’s decision to make heavy investments in IT was invaluable as lockdowns started to come into force across the globe.

And quietly working behind the scenes, the BISS Team have played a vital role in keeping everything running. ICT Manager Peter Warnier comments that all the foundations were in place for everyone to work remotely.

“We are used to this at DEME with all our sites and vessels outside of Belgium.”

Kenneth De Feyter, Head of the Service Department, emphasises: “We were early adopters of MS Teams as our main communication platform, so we were well prepared before the pandemic. Everyone has laptops and fortunately we had already anticipated that there would be a growth in working remotely.” DEME had decided to grow with MS Teams believing it is the future, and this has proven to be the case, Kenneth stresses.

He adds: “MS Teams is a great collaboration platform and we are still investing in it, with a number of new apps being introduced such as the Workspace App.” Peter points out that the main difference, pre- and post-pandemic was an increase in the bandwidth for incoming workers. “There were virtually no extra installations necessary.”

ACCELERATING DIGITAL GROWTH

DEME has been a frontrunner in its push to digitalise with its Accelerating Digital Growth programme, but COVID has only served to further accelerate the process, with an increased use of MS Teams, digital signatures etc.

20 – BACKSTAGE

Post-COVID, a new hybrid way of working is expected. Peter comments: “There will be some people in the meeting room and some at home.” Therefore, over the last few months they have been equipping all the meeting rooms with video conferencing systems, which has involved around 20 rooms at HQ so far. “We want to make it as simple as possible for everyone, they just need to press a button.” The ‘MS Teams’ rooms are also being introduced on the larger vessels and at service hubs.

Kristof Ternoey, Department Manager of Ships, Offices and Sites, says although this process of digitalisation has sped up during the pandemic, over the last few years there was already a trend to bring vessels and the office closer together. “Given the investments in IT, being on board is like being at home or in the office. Using SharePoint and Teams is allowing the fleet to become more integrated with the office.”

His team are continually working to improve communications and achieve ‘home connectivity’ for all of the vessels. “New technologies are emerging all the time, just look at Elon Musk’s LEO Satellite! And very fast internet access will soon become possible worldwide.”

This focus on improving communications was evident recently when DEME took the decision to double the bandwidth of the crew’s allowance. “We saw that data volumes had

doubled during the COVID period, so each crew member now has 500MB a day.” Crews expect to have access to Facebook, WhatsApp etc. just like they would at home, they add.

these technologies and speeds and we provide them.” And in the future 5G will be installed on other vessels too.

There are several other initiatives the BISS team are busy with in the ongoing digitaliA larger vessel eats up a staggering 5TB a sation programme. Kenneth describes the month. “A vessel almost has its own data background to the programme. “A few years centre nowadays.” Kristof comments. Vessels ago it was clear that DEME’s processes are can have thousands of sensors aboard, and all becoming more integrated and therefore this data goes to shore and can be acted upon the systems need to be more integrated. The in real time. Those sources of information can legacy system was coming to an end and we be used for decision-making and enhanced wanted to improve the employee experience, monitoring. Peter says: make everything more “People depend on technoltransparent and give more ogy now and it is crucial self-service options.” This for operational efficiency led to the introduction and to have a secure enviIt is the role of Workday, the new HR ronment. It is also what system. of the IT our customers want and department expect.”

DARE & POWER BI to centralise The ‘Communications Clients request these Hub’ is another example all the vast reporting systems, internet and is a central place for amounts of access and they increaseveryone to communicate. data – we want ingly want to follow the “Here it is possible to have operations of the vessel a very targeted audience ‘one version of remotely, the team stress. and they can subscribe to the truth’.

Certain equipment and certain news/topics,” says maintenance contracts Kenneth. Other important also require remote access. initiatives are DEME’s “Overall there will be Analytical Reporting closer integration between Engine (DARE) and the DEME and our clients. They will expect the Power BI rollout. This is a tool that enables systems to be in place for this daily reporting employees to build reports and dashboards. and will want to follow what is happening “Everyone can plug in and they have their own more closely. And also remotely,” Peter says. dashboard.”

VESSELS ARE ALMOST DATA CENTRES

‘GROENEWIND’ GETS 5G

They all point to our new offshore Service Operation Vessel ‘Groenewind’ which is under a long-term charter to Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, and will be the first vessel to have 5G installed. “Our client requested

Peter adds: “It is the role of the IT department to centralise all the vast amounts of data – we want ‘one version of the truth’.” Rather than using all different Excel files, people can use the Power BI data, which has all been checked and correlated, he adds. Another advantage is

Stacy Smet, Helpdesk Operator

Lode Deckers, Software Engineer

Koen Roels, System Engineer

that it is automatically refreshed, unlike Excel, which can be out of date an hour later!

The drive for digitalisation has also led to the introduction of the new purchase, logistics and maintenance system, Maximo. Kristof and his team have been working around the clock, getting the IT infrastructure ready for each vessel. But undoubtedly the COVID restrictions have made the task very difficult, often making visits to vessels impossible. He comments: “Currently we are doing this at a distance. Delivering Maximo is the highest priority of our Department.”

Aswin Dejaifve, System Engineer

Dirk Rossel, System Manager

Carolien Bonte, System Manager

About 50 % of the installations have been completed. Kristof and his team are aiming for one vessel a week, he stresses and are going as fast as possible. Peter explains that the bottleneck is trying to get aboard at the moment. “We need to get the trainers on the vessels and it typically takes 14 days to train both crew shifts.”

CONSTANT ATTACKS FROM RANSOMWARE

Another major activity of the BISS team is ensuring DEME’s security. The team say DEME is constantly being attacked by ransomware and phishing emails. And un­doubtedly thwarting these attempts is one of the team’s most important roles.

MAXIMO

They also recognise that the migration to Maximo does take a lot of effort on behalf of the crew and they appreciate the time they are putting in. It is a big effort, Peter says, but there are a lot of benefits, especially when it comes to preventive maintenance. “The previous system AMOS was almost obsolete.

Maximo will enable us to have much better maintenance overall and it really supports the logistics process. For example, the crew can track a spare part from A to Z. They can see the original request for the quotation, when it is ready for shipment, when it is on the container, the whole logistics process and at the same time, all of this data is synchronised between HQ and the vessel.”

Cyber security is very high on our agenda, for the office and our vessels, Peter stresses. “Up to now we have never been breached, but the attacks targeting DEME are increasing in volume, particularly through phishing emails. They are continuous and becoming more sophisticated.”

David Vicente, System Engineer

Peter Warnier, Department Manager

surprised to hear that they have also organised ‘ethical hacking attacks’. “These are the good guys. They launch attacks to see if they can breach our defences.” Fake phishing email attacks have also been carried out.

Kenneth emphasises: “The best line of defence is the awareness of the end users. We do what we can, but employees always have to be very careful regarding suspicious emails.” Even if DEME is not compromised, suppliers or subcontractors can be. He gives a startling example of hackers that managed to break into the systems of a supplier and had a whole history of conversations with DEME and subsequently tried to misuse that information.

“And although we have a lot of security measures in place we always try to find the right balance between flexibility and security,” he stresses.

Félix du Mesnil, Business Partner

to external data centres. At the moment, the main data centre is at HQ but this will be replaced by two external data centres in Belgium, 100 km apart. The team aims to have made the switch by the end of the year. Peter comments: “This will improve our disaster recovery capabilities, we can get back online more quickly if there is a problem.”

Certainly, although much of their work takes place unobserved, the team’s role in the company is vital, which has been highlighted by the fact that DEME had the agility to make the switch to remote working so smoothly.

And as DEME’s digital acceleration programme continues apace, the team has another busy year ahead!

TWO NEW DATA CENTRES

BISS is investing a lot of time and energy into dedicated tools and some of you will be

Given the vast oceans of data generated, the BISS team are also busy making the switch

Get to know the BISS team and their expertise PETER WARNIER, ICT MANAGER

Matthias Bruyndonckx System Engineer

Aldin Turcinovic, System Engineer

After working for a US multinational for five years, Peter joined DEME in 1990. He was originally the IT Manager for Baggerwerken Decloedt before the merger with DI. “There was only a small department of just five people and now there are more than 40.” he says.

KENNETH DE FEYTER, HEAD OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT

After working for a US multinational since graduating, where he held different roles in security, data centres, infra and business relationships, Kenneth joined DEME and became Peter’s deputy four years ago.

SPECIALISED DEPARTMENTS WITHIN BISS

BISS Ships, Offices and Sites Department Kristof Ternoey: Department Manager of BISS Ships, Offices and Sites Department (BISS SOS): Kristof has 22 years of service. For the last decade he has focused on the installation of infrastructure/communications on the vessels and project sites.

A lot more support is needed for the vessels

of today because digitalisation is gaining fast ground, he says, and this is reflected in his department which has expanded to a 13-strong team. “Together with team Survey/TDA, we are looking to find the best solutions on board,” he emphasises.

BISS Operations Kurt Van de Walle, Department Manager of BISS Operations: Kurt has been working at DEME since the magical year 2000. After working for several years as a consultant in functions including helpdesk engineer and later team leader, Kurt joined DEME in 2007 as a System Engineer in the Data Centre team.After a short period as ICT Manager of MEDCO, Kurt took the lead in the transition from the former helpdesk team to the current BISS Operations Teams.

BISS Data Centres Tom Gevers, Department Manager of the BISS Data Centre team: Working as a consultant from 2000 until 2010, Tom joined DEME and was appointed the IT Manager of MEDCO until the end of 2012. Since then, he has been leading the BISS Data Centre team. The team is responsible for the IT Infrastructure at HQ and is managing 500+ servers in two data centres, 480TB of data, 180 switches and 200+ Access Points at HQ! BISS Services The Department includes the IT Business Partners, the liaison between the IT department and the different businesses and departments. Additionally, the delivery team is dealing with system integration, development, and the management of DEME’s databases.

Jonas Van de Velde, who has also been working for DEME for 20 years, manages our service desk engineers in Belgium and India.

BISS Operations supports all DEME employees worldwide with everything related to their digital workplace.

21

Keeping DEME safe Combating the Cyber Security threats WEB FILTER

Other

USERS PER RISK CATEGORY

THE FACTS & FIGURES

DEME HQ (Internet fw) 53 (2.4%)

HIGH

26

- No reports of actual compromised accounts, computers or servers so far in 2021 - 4 major phishing campaigns reported (very real looking or where an external company was compromised) - Attacks on HQ blocked by firewall: ±1,750 per month (from outside, targeting HQ) - Virus infection attempts at DEME offices blocked by firewall: ± 400 per month (internal devices, IoT, BYOD, guests) - 85 devices required further inspection: no indications of compromise were found.

China PJOE 843 (38.16%)

Netherlands Terneuzen 71 (3.2...)

Papua New Guinea Dred...

122 (5.52%)

USERS

MEDIUM

DEME HQ (DMZ fw) 148 (6.7%)

7839

TOTAL EVENTS PER DEME OFFICE

Nigeria Lagos 151 (6.84%)

USERS

Australia DIAU 166 (7.51%)

LOW

8411

Nigeria PHC 387 (17.52%)

USERS

Vessel firewall 0.14K (1.24%) Survey dept system 0.37K (3.28%)

Other

DEME FTP 0.4K (3.54%)

VIRUS FILTER

TOTAL ATTACKS

Videoconf system 0.72K (6.43%)

11205

BLOCKED BY FIREWALL

2209

Nomadesk doc sharing 6.96K (62.09%)

TOTAL ATTACKS PER SYSTEM HQ Firewall 1.81K (16.15%)

MAIL FILTER Russian Federation India y Germany United Kingdom 48.06% 55.62%

55.30%

54.92%

China 14.99%

14.88%

16.74%

16.30%

16.95%

16.61%

25.77%

25.87%

25.04%

25.26%

34.50%

31.67%

January

February

March

April

May

June

Spam

Marketing mails

Spain

Netherlands

51.33%

55.21%

Ukraine

O365 quarantained

TOP 10 ATTACK ORIGIN

Clean mails United States

Unknown

Number of attacks

TOTAL ATTACKS PER DAY 100

0

5

10

15 January

22

February

March

20 April

May

Juin

25

30

KITCHEN SECRETS

Bryan Dizon,‘Bonny River’

Bryan Dizon puts his heart and soul into preparing delicious and nutritious meals for the crew of ‘Bonny River’

Bryan literally followed in his father’s footsteps when he joined DEME, when he originally became a steward on board ‘Uilenspiegel’ when he was just 20. His father, Renato Dizon, had worked for more than two decades as a pipe operator on DEME vessels. Graduating with a BSc in hotel and restaurant management, Bryan had been working as a bartender but thought it might be interesting to work in the maritime world and his father gave him advice about how to apply and get his certificates.

"Even though I am not feeling well, I still make nice meals and do my best for the crew.”

He was surprised that very soon after coming on board Captain Tom Van Den Bosch of ‘Uilenspiegel’ asked him if he would like to become a full-time cook. “This was a great opportunity for me. I was a bit nervous initially but then thought, ‘Go for it!’ It was my goal to become a chef but I didn’t expect it to happen that soon.” Bryan had some special training courses but mostly learnt from the previous cooks he worked with when he was a steward. And during his time on ‘Uilenspiegel’ he even managed to cook for his father a few times so they could enjoy the family favourites

Bryan (right) and colleague Mark Ciudadano getting prepared for the naming ceremony of 'Bonny River'

together. “Although of course, it is not always ideal to work with your Dad,” he laughs. Bryan spent three years on ‘Uilenspiegel’ and then joined ‘Bonny River’ when she was a newbuild in China.

THE BEST SAILOR CAN SUFFER FROM SEASICKNESS

Although he really loves his job, Bryan admits he is not necessarily the best sailor and can suffer from seasickness. When travelling to the Abu Qir project in Egypt, where he was stationed for three months, the weather was rough and when he arrived it was also choppy offshore, even though it was sunny. “I am not used to working in this situation, but I always give it my best and try so no-one has any complaints about the food. And even though I am not feeling well, I still make nice meals and do my best for the crew.”

He also had to put all the storm bars up so no dishes or saucepans would slide onto the floor. “I take great care, especially if I have just prepared everything.” Another challenge of the Egypt project, which meant Bryan had to be extra creative, was that his supplies didn’t match the provisions list very often. I think virtually every single time we didn’t get what we’d ordered, so we had to be a bit more imaginative with the menus, he adds.

‘Bonny River’ has a mixed crew with Belgian, galley!” He is also a stickler for cleanliness French, Ukrainian and Filipinos aboard, so and preventive maintenance. “We want all Bryan always try to make a few special dishes the equipment in good condition and clean. from each country. “I have had training in And I make sure everything is well organised.”

European and Asian cuisine but I also search on the interHe also enjoys travelling net for some homely dishes. to different countries and During my I want to try something else, picking up a few souvenirs. all the different styles of “I bought some wind mill time on food.” ornaments in Amsterdam ‘Uilenspiegel’ and a nice thick coat when I even managed SUNDAY STEAK – we were in Lithuania in the THE FAVOURITE winter time!” to cook for my Some of the best-loved father a few dishes are for sure the Bryan emphasises: “I am times so we Belgian stoofvlees (beef really happy to be part stew) and the famous of DEME, it’s a really could enjoy Filipino chicken adobo good company. They give the family (braised chicken in soy me opportunities and favourites sauce) and crispy pork we have a nice crew and knuckle with rice. But the know each other very well. together. ultimate favourite is the I know what they like to eat!

Sunday special – steak with I always do my best to cook French fries and salad. “This delicious and nutritious is everyone’s favourite wherever they are from!” food and it is from my heart. Whatever you do in life, you should do it with your heart.”

Bryan also enjoys being on such a state-ofthe-art vessel. “Everything about it is hi-tech.

I think she is one of two vessels where the cook can work with induction hobs. It goes really, really fast, and of course it is not so hot in the

KITCHEN SECRETS – 23

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT PAPUA NEW GUINEA

The story of the road to 10 years LTI-free FIRST VISIT…

The first time Steven Steward came to Papua New Guinea was as a young commercial/ salvage diver in 1986. At the time he was a diving supervisor, jack of all trades, cook and head bottle washer for Marine Pacific (United Salvage) Fiji Ltd. During the salvage in the Milne Bay of the Solomon Sea of a Hong Kong owned container ship named Venture Star, he was instructed to take the helicopter – with the pilot obviously – and go to Lae township along the jungle coast to purchase much needed eggs, bacon and all important vegemite and cornflakes. At that time, Lae was a township. He vividly recalls the helicopter landing on the football field of the small wooden structured school. Within seconds they were surrounded by kids, teachers, and the local Gendarme.

They became instant celebrities and had an entourage escort them to the local shop in which they purchased their supplies, yep even the vegemite! There was a lot of hand shaking, and many smiles, grins, and giggles and shouted expressions of “lukim yu bihain, bai yu kom bek” which means “see you later, as you will come back”… How true!

In May of 2015, as the Wheatstone Project in Western Australia ended, HR Department at DIAU Brisbane asked if Steven was interested in going to PNG and work with Dredeco PNG Ltd. How could a guy like Steven refuse an offer like that? A couple of months later Steven landed in Jackson Airport in the capital of PNG Port Moresby (POM), flew onward to Tabubil where the Ok Tedi Mine is located. After a short flight down to the river town of Kiunga, he was greeted by Bob Luke, one of our friendly drivers, and driven to Bige to start what we have thus far accomplished.

as the Pacific Rim of Fire. PNG is tropical, lush with vibrant fauna and flora, healthy clear turquoises surrounding seas, snaking rivers, creeks, and tributaries in abundance. The climate is hot, humid and is either wet or wetter, cold and damp in the highlands, prone to occasional earthquakes, cyclones, and drought on rare occasions. The country has a vast diversity of 800 tribal cultures, 840 languages all indigenous to PNG, and a wealth of natural resources.

Prior to World War 1, the south side of PNG was governed by Australia, the North by Germany, and the west by Holland. After that bloody war the British Empire took the north from Germany. The Dutch held onto what is now West Papua, or as known in Indonesia Irian Jaya.

The border between PNG and West Papua literally splits the island of PNG in half and the Lower OK Tedi River, on which we dredge, forms a large section of the border.

Australia granted PNG independence on the 16th of September 1975. PNG has been self-governed since. PNG remains part of the Commonwealth and has strong ties with both Britain and Australia, with the Queen of England as Head of State due to PNG being in the Commonwealth.

by sea, rivers or air. Roads play minor roles in the overall infrastructure of the country.

Due to this natural topography many clans (large family groups) formed and from these clans the tribes were formed in remote areas of this wilderness. These groups developed their own unique cultures, languages, music, histories, myths and legends, skills for survival.

They became hunters and gatherers or farmers of crops for subsistence. It is only in the last 100 years that education became more of a requirement and want as the country developed. That said, many children this day leave school anywhere between the ages of 8 to 16 years. Not by their decision, but by circumstance of birth and financial stress placed on their parents as school is not for free in PNG. Add these factors together, and you have a wonderful naturally rich and diverse country and surrounding islands, a tough and hardy people wanting to learn, work and better their

As with all safety plans, it started with the basic driving force behind it: the team!

As most Pacific Islands PNG is the direct result of volcanic action and forms the southwestern edge of the horseshoe curve of what is known

As in many developing countries, the spread of wealth is amongst the few, but meant for the many. The development of the country’s infrastructure has been limited not only by its colonial history, but also by outside commercial persuasion and consultation, financial decisions of successive governments, but primarily by the dramatic topography of the country itself. Logistically speaking, PNG is a headache! With its many islands which make up the nation of PNG, to its high steep mountain ranges running through the middle of the main island, to its deep valleys and gullies to its vast wetlands and river systems, the main forms of transport are determined

Steven Steward, with whom it all began

Star Mountains, a mountain range in the inlands of PNG

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO PNG

24 – PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

The Pacific Rim of Fire

lives. Their goals have been and are in process of being achieved by the work generated by mining of the natural resources such as copper, gold, growing of crops such as coffee, cocoa beans (some of the best chocolate I have ever eaten is Queen Emma’s made in PNG from local cocoa beans), sugar cane, copra, a variety of nutritional vegetables and fruits grown in rich fertile soils, developing the dairy and beef industry. Marine life is in abundance in a healthy sea, and on the reefs of the main island and islands of PNG. Steven can vouch for that first-hand, having spent many hours underwater here from 1986 to 1990 both for work and pleasure diving. These days he snorkels whenever he’s in POM. A REMOTE PROJECT

As you can see from the photograph, the project team operates in an extremely remote location and therefore they must be

INTRODUCTION TO THE SAFETY TEAM

Logistically speaking, PNG is a headache!

Roads play minor roles in the overall infrastructure of the country.

as self-sufficient and reliant as possible in all aspects of the project. Those aspects being able to provide medical support and treatment, maintain sufficient supplies of water and food, toiletries, tools and equipment, spare parts, stores of consumables, lubricants and grease, hydrocarbons, paints, and an abundance of PPE and medical supplies. The operation has a variety of plant equipment which all works in supporting the cutter suction dredger Cap Martin. This is the all-consuming, yet productive ‘puk puk’ (crocodile) that requires being watered and feed on an hourly and daily basis.

Ordering and purchasing off all required equipment and consumables is never ending.

For the project team to stay on top of it, they work up to 6 months ahead. With some equipment they plan for items to be on site 12-18 months ahead, so when they need them, they are here. There is no “stop and shop” here!

This isolation is the main factor that required the Project QHSES Department to develop a safety system that not only considered all that has been written above, but go beyond that, and rethink the whole safety process from the fact that cultural backgrounds on site are broadly different, with many talents, skill sets and attitudes, the fact that training is a must but requires adjustment so all can learn and be safe in the workplace, the fact there are many languages spoken on site. The national languages of PNG are English, Pidgin and Motu.

The QHSES team had to find a way to communicate the change of safety management to the vastly varied and different workforce. The only thing that was common to all was the fact the ‘puk puk’ needed to be operating 24/7.

So, they began as with all safety plans, they started with the basic driving force behind it: the team.

QHSES TEAM Senior Safety officer Jim Kerua was born and raised in the Western Highlands of PNG. He started life as a cheeky fellow and still maintains his dry and wry sense of humour.

Jim did very well in school and became a teacher of math and general subjects, later a Headmaster. He left the education system and moved into the QHSES industry 10 years ago. He initially worked in mine safety and then joined Dredeco eight years ago.

Safety Officer Augustin Beteop was born and raised in Kiunga Western Province. He started life as a content kid with a keen sense of humour which he puts into play just at the right time. Augustin did very well in school and graduated from the University of PNG. He worked in the finance world for several years and made the move into the QHSES industry in 2015. He initially worked on onshore drill rigs in the interior of PNG. He joined Dredeco four years ago.

QHSES Manager Steven Steward was born in Khartoum Sudan. Aged 5, he went to school at Ikeja Village in Lagos Nigeria. At 10 years old he was sent to boarding school in England, left school aged 18 with standard O & A levels, got apprenticeship in 1978 with a salvage company based in the Caribbean, spent the next 30 years earning a living as a diver in salvage, onshore and offshore industry, worked up to Diving Supervisor, then to Diving Operations Manager. In 2008 he hung up his ‘flippers’, moved into marine safety within the dredging industry. He joined Dredeco PNG Ltd as QHSES Manager in 2015.

PART OF THE DREDECO SAFETY TEAM IS THE PROJECT CLINIC Doctor Daryl Roberts was born and raised in Eastern Highlands. He did very well at school and university and graduated from medical university. He initially worked at a hospital in POM, decided that he wanted to work in remote clinics spread throughout the Highlands and joined the project seven years ago. He has a unique bedside manner based around no nonsense action with a hint of dry humour which one must witness to appreciate it.

Doctor Solomon Viyufa was born and raised in Eastern Highlands. He did extremely well at school and went on to graduate from medical university. He has worked in various clinics and hospitals in PNG. He joined the project clinic five years ago. He is the personification of the approachable country Doctor.

WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE SAFETY TEAM IS DREDECO HR DEPARTMENT HR Officer Keith Hames was born and raised in East Sepik and moved to Western Province at a young age and made it his home. Keith has been with the project since conception, over 20 years.

HR Administrator Ms. Senigel Digali was born and raised in Kiunga and joined Dredeco several months ago. She brings youth, vitality along with strong administrative and organizational skills to the team.

The project team operates in an extremely remote location and therefore they must be as self-sufficient and reliant as possible in all aspects of the project

25

How we achieved what we have and what we envisage for the future of safety on site…

Building a conscious safety culture is not an easy task anywhere in the world. Due to the fact that we as humans are all different, we think differently, our likes and dislikes are different, we approach a job in different ways, our mindsets are different and each of us have our own perceptions of what is dangerous and what is not. On arrival to site, Steven decided what has gone before is history and what done henceforth, must have buy-in from all personnel on site. This makes the employees stakeholders by their very acceptance and input to the safety culture on site. So how to do this?

There is no wrong or absolute right way; there is only the way that works in any given working environment.

Drawing on his many years of diving the key principle to any diving job was KISS, ‘keep it simple safe’. Firstly, they spent a lot of time with each workstation: observing, taking notes, speaking to those doing the work.

Basically, assessing what was done and why it was done that way or the other way. During these periods a lot was revealed: some good, some bad, and some was stopped and rectified straight away. Being visible, approachable, and playing an active part of the process by showing how to write a task orientated JSA, people opened. A basic trust was established. Trust is a powerful tool. With trust comes communication. From communication comes ideas and transfer of knowledge. Without the established trust, progress would never have been made. Now

that trust shall be maintained. It requires consistency in the approach to rectify a negative situation. The best approach is stoic, just deal with the facts. From inquiring about facts, better results will come about, without fuss and fanfare. The risk assessments were written up with the involved of the people at the workstations and the immediate supervisors. They should reflect what truly takes place at the workstation. Next step was to develop the safe working procedures for each of the workstations. The risk assessments, JSA’s and safe working procedures all are live documents. Over the years their contents was amended and their alterations of content get communicated to end users through pre-starts and toolboxes. Changes in laws and in company policies are among the key driving forces in our changing project safety documentation.

The challenge to ensure we comply with international laws, laws of PNG, company policy and client policy. Through developing the legal compliance register, we ensure all safety working documentation complies with the laws. The extraction industries in PNG are well on track in becoming more professional and accountable. Oversight and regular inspections by MRA (Mining Resources Authority of PNG) and DLIR (Department of Labour and Industrial Relations) are there to ensure that the employers act with highest standards of duty of care and that proper trainings are organized that support the

We are moving into improving what we have accomplished and elevating the training of the nationals as many have been on the project over 10 years.

Practical sessions are extremely important developing of skills and competences of the PNG workforce on the project. Over the years, Dredeco developed a well working and respectful relationship with them where trust is key, as we do what we say. We improved the pre-start and the Take 5 process and aligned them to each work area as an engine room pre-start is vastly different to that of reclamation. From the risk assessments we created the training matrix as now we knew what each area required in the form of training and why. This also created the drill training matrix for all workstations. Every document developed was communicated to the workforce three times over an 18-month period.

Each workstation now has a drill matrix, so

each workstation conducts regular drills on a weekly and monthly basis, and yes, we conducted walk through drills for the first year till the national skippers and foreman knew what to do and why and they now run their own drills which we witness as required. Has it taken time yes, has it been worth the effort?

Absolutely! Is it over? No. No we are moving into improving what we have accomplished and elevating the training of the nationals as many have been on the project over 10 years.

Their hands on knowledge is priceless to the project. We have recently implemented the 5 Year training program which is a pathway towards taking on more responsibilities in the future.

“A team to be proud of its accomplishments!”

10 Years of LTI free operations for all Dredeco workstations at Bige Ok Tedi site is a fantastic accomplishment. It’s a result for the whole team to be very proud of.

For 10 years our employees from the local communities can return home unharmed at the end of their working day. Our fly-in fly-out personnel, both from other parts of Papua New Guinea and from abroad, travel back home free of injury at the end of their swing. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of this. We all are someone’s family, and as a son, daughter, mother or a father, brother or sister, our wellbeing and safety at the workplace matters to our families.

Seldom do we have the opportunity in our industry to be part of a project as long running as this one. During this time which spans over two decades, Dredeco has removed over 240 million cubic meters of river sediment from the Ok Tedi River in the Western Province of Papua Guinea. A vast area of what once was rainforest die-back area, is now being rehabilitated for the local communities thanks to the committed determination of our client OTML. Through the professionalism of our survey team, the reclamation crews and the OTML earthmoving department, both the East Bank and West Bank are newly established.

The past 10 years have been LTI-free, but they also witnessed many milestones, which took many working hours to accomplish.

In this decade Cap Martin dredged some 100,000,000 cubic meters of river sediment.

This strongly reduces the seasonal flooding of the lands on which the river communities live. By the middle of 2019 we completed a major upgrade of Cap Martin with the help our Cap Martin crew, the workshop team, and our Technical Department in Belgium. What a fantastic production Cap Martin delivers after so many years of service. But most of all, and because it matters most, it’s done safely.

That is our goal.

A lot has happened over the past 10 LTI-free years and we could not have done without the dedicated support and perseverance from our QHSES department and medical team on site.

During the first half of 2020 we mobilized the floating booster station from Singapore to Port Moresby, and then some 900 kilometres up the Fly River through the rainforest. I’m proud to say it’s the best-performing booster station I’ve ever seen. Our booster team’s focus on safety and production is world class.

site. The energy with which they commit to continuously train all workstation personnel to work safely and look after their health and wellbeing, is truly an inspiration.

As technologies evolve, Dredeco ramped up its efforts to train local personnel. We are happy to see they too develop their competencies and take on more responsibilities as the years pass.

Cap Martin (dredger) and Kwiape (work boat)

26

A lot has happened over the past 10 LTI-free years and we could not have done without the dedicated support and perseverance from our QHSES department and medical team on

We all have the honour of being part of this wonderful story in which the health of a river system so vital to the community’s sustainability is improved, and the beauty of the rainforest is restored. Together with OTML, let us write together the next chapter in this story here at Bige, free of all injury, for another 10 years.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT EGYPT

Abu Qir 1 in Egypt in full swing

"Two cutters ‘D’Artagnan’ and ‘Amazone’, working tirelessly alongside a spreader barge and conventional reclamation and pipeline equipment."

Abu Qir 1 is in full swing, despite the team having to find some smart solutions for several challenges, ranging from the impact of Covid to the rerouting of a channel for a fishing harbour.

DEME has been subcontracted by the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) to perform dredging and reclamation works for the new Hutchison Ports Abu Qir Container Terminal. The container terminal, which will have a capacity of 2 million TEU, is located close to the greenfield port (the Abu Qir 2 project), which DEME was also awarded in the biggest dredging and reclamation contract in its history.

Mario Boons, Project Manager of Abu Qir 1, joined DEME in 2005 directly after school and has worked in the Middle East, the UK, Africa, India and Russia, initially as a Superintendent, then Works Manager, and for the last seven years as a Project Manager.

Mario is delighted to be working together with his friend and colleague Marc Aoun, his relief Project Manager, again. The two worked on

the Old Doha Port together, where MEDCO worked in a joint venture. Mario has been based in Egypt since early December 2020.

“I was involved in the last phases of the tender and preparations for Abu Qir 1 so I have been based here from day one.” The scope of the contract consists of dredging the turning basin and access channel to -17 m. This will provide access to the new 1,200 m long quay, which is 560 m wide. This part of the project represents volumes of 3.4 million m3, he says. Due to be completed in Q1 2023, DEME expects to dredge 14.5 million m3 of material overall and almost all of this volume will be used to build the land for the new container terminal.

Currently, two cutters ‘D’Artagnan’ and ‘Amazone’, are working tirelessly alongside a spreader barge and conventional reclamation

and pipeline equipment. Physically the project started up on 11 June 2021, when the two cutters started bringing sand to the beach. This project mainly involves shallow dredging so it can’t be done with the hoppers at the moment, he says. Although one might be brought in towards the end of the project.

Abu Qir 1 will be performed in two phases.

As CHEC is contracted to build the quay wall itself, DEME cannot remove the land in front of it initially, otherwise the quay wall would collapse. “We will have to dredge everything except one strip of land,” Mario explains. Deploying the two cutters, this first phase is expected to take about five months.

Then, once the wall is constructed, DEME can return and dredge in front of the quay.

In addition to the quayside, an area of reclaimed land is also being created for future development possibilities such as the storage of empty containers. Given the number of stakeholders involved in the project, there have been quite a lot of discussions about where we should pump the material to create this extra land. To dump it offshore was very expensive, Mario says, so DEME suggested that another area of land should be created instead. The team will therefore create an extension of another 1 million m³ adjacent to the Container Terminal and another extension of 1.8 km long and 500 m wide, which represents a volume of 7 million m3.

EXPLOITING SYNERGIES BETWEEN THE TWO ABU QIR PROJECTS

One of the biggest challenges the team face is where to place the surplus material. “Of course when we dredge material that’s been compacted, it expands. At a certain moment I think there will be a surplus of four to five million m3 which we cannot store anywhere,” Mario says. The team was looking at how best to solve this issue. “This might bring forward the synergy between the two Abu Qir projects.

We can perhaps bring a certain amount of these volumes to Abu Qir 2.”

“Luckily we have a good team. Our cutters and survey vessel are busy all of the time and it is running like clockwork."

But this is also easier said than done because there is actually a physical barrier between the projects from the inner port, Free Zone, where

their project is and the Abu Qir 2 location.

“This means it is difficult to exchange equipment, vessels etc.” And indeed the material is very different even though the projects are relatively close. Most of the sand for Abu Qir 2 is being brought in from offshore borrow areas and is pure sand, whereas the Abu Qir 1 team is dealing with alternating layers of sand and clay, which makes it difficult to isolate both.

“Operations are therefore not straightforward but it is manageable. But fortunately myself and Marc like challenges!”

DREDGING A NEW CHANNEL FOR A FISHING HARBOUR

Another challenge that Mario and Marc have had to address is an access channel to a fishing harbour which goes straight through the project site. In April, CHEC was going to have to dredge very close to the channel and this would have effectively closed off the fishing port, so DEME suggested an alternative solution. DEME’s cutters therefore had just started work on creating a new channel of 1.5 km to the sea. This channel represents approximately 360,000 m3 of material and would be -6 m deep.

Covid has also inevitably made its presence felt and it has been extremely difficult to bring crew and expert reclamation teams from the Philippines and India – in the case of India, impossible. “For the reclamation and excavation works, we are having to deploy local people. However, they have a positive mentality which is allowing us to achieve a good standard.” This situation is expected to continue for the coming months while various countries face new Covid waves.

Despite the various challenges, Mario is very optimistic. “Luckily we have a good team. Our cutters and survey vessel are busy all of the time and it is running like clockwork. Marc and I are very much enjoying the project and I believe this leadership reflects on the team.”

The Abu Qir 2 project will be covered in the next edition.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT - 27

MEET THE FLEET

The Band of Backhoe Brothers The Backhoe Team is on a mission to put DEME’s fleet of backhoes centre stage, believing that they have much more potential than they are sometimes given credit for, especially given their recent upgrades. This new focus on the fleet has led to a cross-department working group being established, which includes the Technical, Operations and R&D departments, as well as management.

Department we managed to triple the speed of the spud movement,” Terence emphasises.

“Essentially the hydraulic system on the pontoon and excavator need to be balanced.

And we had been spending time pumping oil from one system to another, which involved a lot of waiting time,” Bavo adds.

Bavo Goris, Expert Engineer, has been with DEME for 14 years, starting off with the Technical Department. He then spent more than 10 years working abroad, including the last five years in Singapore on the Jurong Island Westward Extension and the TTP1 projects, before returning to Belgium in 2019.

Affectionately known as ‘Backhoe Bavo’, he is keen to improve the efficiency, productivity and competitiveness of the backhoe fleet.

“If we look at the grab dredgers in Singapore, we didn’t have any experience initially and pretty much started from zero and that turned out to be a success. We can do the same for backhoes.”

‘Peter the Great’ headed to Hinkley Point in the UK, where it will be preparing the site for the intake and cooling outlets of the nuclear power plant.

Terence Vercammen, Barge Master, is a key member of the Backhoe Team and he also spent many years working all over the world on various pieces of equipment. He started working as a Barge Master on the Backhoe Dredgers in August 2020, after working for DEME for 15 years. Terence was a Marine Supervisor for six years and then spent four years as a Barge Master on grab dredgers in Singapore. “We want to have the backhoe fleet performing a little bit better, to put it back in the spotlight!”

Currently, DEME has three backhoes: two more conventional types (‘Peter the Great’ and ‘Pinocchio’) and the Backackter ‘Samson’.

Beautiful view of ‘Pinocchio’ active by night

28 – MEET THE FLEET

‘Peter the Great’ and ‘Pinocchio’ are basically a mining excavator on a pontoon, while with ‘Samson’ the excavator is purpose-built for dredging on a pontoon, where the pontoon acts as the counterweight of the excavator.

MANY ADVANTAGES

There are many advantages of a backhoe, they stress. “They are ideal for working in small corners and close to existing structures.

Additionally, they are very suitable when there can’t be much turbidity. CSDs and TSHDs always mix the soil and a lot of material goes into suspension. But with a mechanical dredger, the soil is not disturbed as much,” Bavo says. Backhoes are also handy for harder soils, which can’t be dredged by a hopper dredger.

FLEET INVESTMENT

This fresh focus on the backhoe fleet has also been backed up by investment in upgrades, with both ‘Peter the Great’ and ‘Samson’ undergoing quite an overhaul, particularly ‘Samson’ which has practically been rebuilt.

‘Peter the Great’ has recently been working in Antwerp, on the New Lock Terneuzen project and in Zeebrugge. “During the project in Antwerp we found out that the spud hydraulics were not working as they should. Together with the engineers on board and the Technical

‘SAMSON’ WIDENED & GETS A NEW HYDRAULIC SYSTEM

volumes are up nearly 150 % on the calculated production levels.

‘PINOCCHIO’ SUCCESS IN RÉUNION ISLAND

Meanwhile, ‘Pinocchio’ has been in Réunion Island for about five years, mainly handling rock and hard soil. She is currently being repaired in Ras Al Kahaima, but this has been delayed due to the COVID restrictions. The team is now making plans to get the repair works underway again.

Other improvements that have been introduced include reducing the mobilisation and demobilisation times. Bavo explains that this involves streamlining many activities such as the optimisation of the seafastening, and reducing the time to pack and unpack.

“We have already made big improvements reducing the set up time by 50 %!”

During a complete refurbishment in Poland, ‘Samson’s pontoon has been widened, made more stable and its whole hydraulic system has been adjusted, so it can work faster. ‘Samson’ is known as a ‘Backackter’ and there were only a handful built in the world by a Dutch company which ceased operations. Terence comments: “As a Barge Master I really enjoy operating ‘Samson’, she is the largest, and has a We are lot of power. She is a truly investing new impressive machine.”

One of DEME’s operators has worked on some of the competitors’ backhoes and says ‘Samson’ is by far the most productive, Terence points out. “This is due to the engineering of the hydraulic system, which makes our excavator much faster.”

energy and time into crewing the backhoe fleet.

It is important to have a core crew to improve continuity and the knowledge transfer.

After performing a job removing high spots and boulders along the River Elbe, ‘Samson’ went to Denmark, where she was digging a trench for Europipe II. “This project highlights what these vessels can do in shallow waters. In Denmark we worked 1 km from shore all the way up the beach.”

OPTIMISATION TOOL

As well as this, an optimisation tool was introduced on ‘Samson’ and ‘Peter the Great’ in 2020. It essentially informs the operator about the maximum step length and reach they can make. The initial idea came from First Operator Nico Cornelis. “This innovation is very useful when working on a final layer, especially when working with the tide. Previously the operators couldn’t see how much they can step so they would have to measure it manually, but now they can see the maximum step on their screen.”

A data log has also been installed. With all the data logged in the cloud, this shows the influence of certain parameters, Bavo says, and in the longer term can help provide immediate feedback to the operators.

“We just finalised the project on time despite a few issues. There had been some wire breakages but we have now discovered the root cause so this is solved. And also we had a lot of bad weather unfortunately. But we did complete in time!” Bavo points out.

And of course, it is not just the technical capabilities of the fleet itself, the crew have to be special too. The ability to multi-task and be flexible are key requirements, Bavo says.

Currently, ‘Samson’ is working in Terneuzen where she is removing an old headland covered with shore protection. Bavo emphasises: “She can do things that other dredgers can’t. If you see this old headland being removed, it is truly amazing.” And here the improvements on ‘Samson’ are clearly evident. Productivity

The Backhoe Team has been focusing on creating a dedicated backhoe crew. Terence explains that in the past the backhoes would perform one job and then the crew would be dispersed to other vessels. “We need a dedicated crew, not everyone knows what we do. This is particularly important regarding

DEDICATED BACKHOE CREW & BARGE MASTERS

‘Pinocchio’ working on La Nouvelle Route du Littoral in La Réunion

the engineers who ideally need knowledge of the hydraulics system.” Currently, a backhoe crew of 15 people has been created. A dedicated Barge Master has also been introduced, in addition to the First Operator.

Bavo adds: “We are investing new energy and time into crewing the backhoe fleet.

It is important to have a core crew to improve continuity and the knowledge transfer.

A backhoe crew member typically needs to be multiskilled and be keen to assist other team members.”

TEAM SPIRIT

He gives a great example of the backhoe team spirit. “I was aboard ‘Samson’ and we had two hours idle time. One of the operators appeared and he was covered in grease, from head to toe! A backhoe guy doesn’t just sit in his chair all day, the mentality is I’ll just get on and do it!”

Bavo emphasises that backhoes can be underestimated and their crew too. “The crew work very hard and they are always keen to make improvements.” Terence agrees: “Many people think it’s just an excavator on a pontoon with three spud legs. You need to be skilled.

They are working with a high-pressure system with 300 bars! Indeed, all the progress we have made over the last period is all thanks to the amazing crew.”

MORE PROJECTS PLEASE!

“Now the vessels have shown their full potential, we hope to get more jobs for these vessels,” Terence stresses. “We are doing our part, so the commercial department can now find us more work. Hint, hint!” they joke.

‘Samson’ becomes a giant again!

Our one and only Backackter 1100 ‘Samson’ has undergone a dramatic transformation following an extensive overhaul and has recently successfully completed projects in Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium.

Quentin Hannecart, Vessel Manager of the Backhoe dredgers, explains that ‘Samson’ had somewhat of a troubled past, originally built by a company which went out of business due to the problems with the Backackters. Constructed around 2008/9, Samson’s excavator is purpose-built for dredging on a pontoon, with the counterweight being the pontoon itself.

However, originally the vessel had a number of flaws, the major one being that it was not stable, Quentin points out. As well as this, the hydraulic system was not performing

well and the production rate was very low, with a lot of breakdowns. Given the mounting problems, the pontoon was idle for many years until the Technical Department decided to take a fresh look at the vessel in 2019, knowing it had a lot of potential. The refurbishment was led by the Docking Team Leader Stijn Vanderbeken.

adapted. “This means ‘Samson’ can have the maximum amount of power when the equipment needs the power, rather than full power all of the time. Previously, there were a lot of pressure peaks leading to premature wear on the hydraulic parts. But this is now resolved and the complete system has been adjusted.”

“DEME invested in an extensive refurbishment which actually means she is virtually a newbuild! And it wouldn’t have been possible without the knowledge and expertise of our Docking Team, ” Quentin says.

Additionally, the pedestal was completely renewed and the accommodation was modernised to bring it up to today’s standards.

One key factor in the overhaul, which took 12 months, was that she was made a lot wider to dramatically improve her stability. Two pontoons were welded together, increasing the width by 1.8 m. The hydraulics were also extensively modified and

Quentin says: “Over the last few months ‘Samson’ has been running without ­problems, with a very good production rate.

She is ­really proving herself. We are very eager to keep her running, so we hope some new projects are on their way.”

DEME invested in an extensive refurbishment which actually means she is virtually a newbuild!

Samson’ and ‘Pallieter’ working side by side

29

SNAPSHOT

DEME Building Material’s beating heart The Vlissingen Hub Wharf

Vlissingen is the beating heart of DEME Building Materials (DBM). More than a quarter of all the marine aggregates handled by DBM pass through this wharf annually. Over the last few years volumes have grown consistently and expectations for the coming years are well over 1.5 million tonnes a year.

Tom Janssens, General Manager DBM, joined DEME straight after university in 1993 thanks to an internship with the technical department at Baggerwerken Decloedt. In the early years he worked as a Project Engineer in Asia performing marine works, both dredging and rock revetment projects. He has also worked with the jack-ups when they were still smaller than those of today and when a highlight was the salvage of the car carrier

‘Tricolor’. Additionally, Tom worked for DEC as a Project Manager and later as Operations Manager. “I have pretty much worked in most parts of the company, except the offshore wind projects.” He joined DBM in 2012 just after the ‘Victor Horta’ was added to the DBM fleet.

This was also around the time Vlissingen really started to expand. In 2011 DBM was awarded

one of the largest projects in its history, the supply of construction aggregates for the new Kieldrecht Lock in Antwerp, which ­eventually represented more than 1.3 million tonnes of marine sand and gravel. This was a new step for DBM as previously, their main focus had been on the production of sand for the construction industry. Most of the gravel was sold to its large neighbour and client, Thermphos, which was a phosphate producer in the port, Tom explains. Thermphos used the gravel in its industrial processes because of its chemical quality and very high SiO₂ (silica) content. As Thermphos used very coarse gravel, only limited crushing was required. However, unfortunately Thermphos collapsed in 2012, which meant that DBM had to find alternative clients for its gravelly material.

NEW KIELDRECHT LOCK – HUGE VOLUMES

For the execution of the Kieldrecht Lock contract, DBM had expanded the plant in Vlissingen by increasing its capacity and production rate. The crushing had always been carried out in a ‘jaw crusher’ but the introduction of a secondary ‘cone crusher’ enabled the plant to achieve better sizes and shapes. This meant it could now focus on finer gravel up to 16, 22 and 32 mm as well, which can be readily sold for the concrete industry.

Michael De Clercq, Plant Manager in Vlissingen

30 – SNAPSHOT

Michael De Clercq, Plant Manager in Vlissingen, joined DI in 2011 and spent the first three years in Australia working on the Gladstone and Wheatstone LNG projects.

In 2014 he became a member of the DBM team and spent four years in the Shipping Department overseeing the day-to-day management of the vessels. Then in 2018 he was appointed to his current position in Vlissingen.

Michael puts the secret of Vlissingen’s success down to its location and scale. “We are close to the sea for the incoming vessels and via the Scheldt River, we also have very good access to the inland waterway network, especially for the Netherlands and Belgium.” Indeed the DBM fleet brings in marine sand and gravel from concessions in Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, France and even from the German Bight.

CENTRE OF THE INLAND WATERWAY NETWORK

Vlissingen covers a region spanning 100 km by barge, so is well able to service the North of France and a good part of Belgium and the Netherlands sometimes even as far as Amsterdam, which it did when the construction of the IJmuiden Lock was underway.

As well as this, Vlissingen is a large-scale plant, which means the facility can accommodate big stockpiles and handle huge volumes. For example, Michael explains that it can have big stockpiles of raw material, which allow it to keep working through peaks and troughs.

It typically has stockpiles of over 100,000 tonnes of finished material that enable the facility to cope with peak demand from clients – especially for major infrastructure projects.

Tom says that DBM always aims to balance supply and demand, but a certain level of strategic stock is needed both on the incoming side of the raw materials (“ballast as dredged” or so-called “BAD”), as well as on the outgoing side of the concrete aggregates. “These stockpiles are the key to our flexibility.” Even in the pandemic the team have been very busy and in 2020 their ‘buffer stock’ had been built up by April/May but demand was so strong that the surplus had diminished by the end of

We aim to use the waterways as much as possible, and actually given the huge volumes, trucks would not be practical, they could barely cope with our high production levels.

‘Victor Horta’ in Zeebrugge

that year. This was mainly down to demand for the New Lock Terneuzen project.

This material is all going by the waterways, with two barges travelling between Vlissingen and Terneuzen twice a day. “We are loading ships around the clock.” They estimate that they are around halfway through the Terneuzen project. A total of 630,000 tonnes of gravel and sand will eventually be supplied.

Weather conditions can also play a significant role, particularly when the weather has a knock-on impact on the levels of the River Rhine. “The River Rhine is an important source of construction aggregates for the Benelux. If the river goes too long with low SIMULTANEOUS MEGAPROJECTS water levels, or as occurred recently, with too Alongside this project, the Blankenburg high levels, supply of these aggregates is interConnection is now getting up and running rupted and DBM can offer a perfect substitute. in Rotterdam. Here they are supplying The same production capacity that allows sand and gravel for concrete for the tunnel DBM to handle very large construction, representing volumes in a short period of around 600,000 tonnes over time for the major infrastructhe next two years. Later in ture projects also allows DBM the year the Oosterweel link One stone to cope with additional peak project will also start up. The demand on such occasions Scheldt tunnel will be one of in the sand, on top of our regular clients,” the most important elements or one lump Tom adds. of the project and it will close of clay, the Antwerp Ring Road on Vlissingen also fits in with the north side. The immersed can be a DEME’s focus on sustaintunnel has a total length of problem for ability. Virtually all of the 1,800 m and DBM will supply us or for our sand and gravel volumes that the sand and gravel for the tunare produced there are transnel elements, which are being client. ported by barge. “We aim to constructed in Zeebrugge by use the waterways as much as THV COTU (BESIX, BAM possible, and actually given Contractors, DEME and Jan the huge volumes, trucks De Nul). would not be practical, they could barely cope with our high production levels,” says Michael.

CONSISTENT QUALITY CRUCIAL Tom and Michael point out that the quality NEW LOCK TERNEUZEN of the material is crucial. “The dredging He highlights the New Lock Terneuzen techniques used are very important in relation project, which is just one of the megaprojects to the desired quality. We understand these DBM Vlissingen is handling at the moment. techniques, and a key part of our service for “If they are pouring concrete 24/7, two conour clients is being able to deliver this constant crete production plants are required around quality. One stone in the sand, or one lump of the clock. That is 8,000 tonnes of sand and clay, can be a problem for us or for our client,” gravel each day, for three to four days in a row!” stresses Tom.

Having everything in-house helps achieve this consistent quality, he says. “We know what is important when dredging, we understand the technology, where and how to collect the right material and how it should be done in line with the correct procedures.” Michael agrees, saying: “The full cycle is in our hands – our own vessels, our own marine concessions and it is all processed in our own facilities.”

They also point to the many efficiency and DRIVE programmes they have put in place.

“We focus on deploying modern machinery because it has better fuel efficiency. We are also reducing the electricity and water we use, including reducing the intake of fresh water to wash the chlorine out of the sand. This is both cost-effective and more environmentally friendly.” Additionally, we are continuously optimising our stockpile management, Michael says.

Tom Janssens, General Manager DBM

RIGHT PRICE, RIGHT QUALITY, RIGHT QUANTITY

They are both certain that there will be more demand for marine aggregates in the future as inland resources become scarcer. “We supply good quality aggregates, at the right price and at the right quantity. We can handle these large, complex projects and also supply our regular clients,” emphasises Tom. They also hope their role in DEME is a little bit clearer. They laugh: “Sometimes people ask what we do and if we make bricks for houses.

Some don’t see the link between our dredging activities and building construction material.

Vlissingen is actually that link!”

31

DBM – a company ‘where everybody knows your name’ Fast mobilisation times and flexibility are key advantages of the DBM fleet, the team emphasise.

The three DBM vessels are almost always in the neighbourhood, he says. “Flexibility is in our DNA. From hour to hour it can change.”

Davy Zeebroek, Captain of ‘Victor Horta’, has spent his whole career at sea. After marine school he went into the merchant navy and worked on containerships, bulk carriers and gas carriers for five years and then spent two years in the navy. Davy actually started his DEME career with Baggerwerken Decloedt in 1992 on the new airport project in Hong Kong and he was eventually in the Far East for the next decade, where he was deployed on the TSHD ‘Pacifique’. “Ha-ha, I feel old. I started out as a trainee pipeman, was Second Mate for two years, then six years as First Mate and then I became captain of ‘Pacifique’ for the last three years.”

Bram Stuyck, Works Manager of the DBM Shipping division, joined DEME ‘for adventure and challenges’ and he has not been disappointed. Previously a consultant, Bram started in May 2015, and was initially aboard ‘Orwell’ before joining DBM.

For DBM his first vessel was ‘Charlemagne’ and he stayed with the ship for 10 years. “This was in 2003. I think DBM was around three people at that time, so we have been on a very interesting journey when you see what we have achieved today.”

He really enjoys the diversity DBM provides.

“Recently we have just done campaigns in Le Havre, Dieppe, then I am off to the Isle of Wight and will discharge in Newhaven. We are always in different ports in Belgium, France and the Netherlands… I have been doing this job for 18 years and the variation is tremendous. And luckily I enjoy a challenge and don’t mind hard work.”

“I was open for a new challenge and 18 months ago became Works Manager.” Bram visits clients, discusses planning and follows up on the operational side. He describes his role as the ‘link between the company and the client, and between the vessel and the office’.

It is also Bram’s responsibility to optimise the production and to limit any idle time of the fleet, which involves some complex planning.

Davy highlights just how agile the DBM fleet has to be. “Our mobilisation times are very short! We discharged a gravel load in Vlissingen, changed the dredge pipe to a 60 m configuration and started the same day on the removal of sedimentation from two very deep exit pits on the River Scheldt for the power connection of the Borssele offshore wind farm project. Two hours after the finish of the offshore project, we were back in the gravel business! It is never routine on a DBM ship!”

'Victor Horta' discharging in Cliffe

32

The planning is crucial, Bram points out. “We aim to limit the waiting time. There are many factors that have to be taken into consideration: tidal restrictions, both in the ports and the dredge areas, operation times of the locks, schedules of other vessels using the same berth or the same dredge area, pilots, supplies and logistics, bunkers,… It’s all down to flexibility in our planning. An hour later, schedules can change according to the clients demands and this often has a knock-on effect throughout the planning, which has to be minimised as much as possible.”

It’s all down to flexibility in our planning.

An hour later, schedules can change according to the clients demands.

Above all, he says, DBM aims to be flexible and to respond quickly to clients.

“Regarding the job Davy mentioned, ‘Victor Horta’ was available and this shows how a DBM vessel can also do the job, and quickly. We are more or less in the same waters, so we can react swiftly.”

RESPONDING QUICKLY

FLEXIBILITY IN THE DNA

it was behind the Thames Barrier made it extra special.”

DBM delivers to its regular clients in and around the English Channel, around Belgium and France and sometimes further north.

“But if a client urgently needs material we will make a special delivery or if clients change their mind we will try to fit another project or delivery in between.” For example, ‘Victor Horta’ delivered sand and gravel to a client located behind the Thames Barrier following an urgent request because their regular supply ship was out of service. “Due to our flexibility and willingness to support clients, we took these extra deliveries and the fact that

SUCCESS WITH SMALLER VOLUMES

Tom explains: “In the last few years we have successfully carried out a number of smaller projects. Our fleet is very well placed for these. Whereas other dredging companies would have to mobilise specifically for them, we can do these projects in a competitive way because our vessels are nearly always in the vicinity.

“And if a client needs us to deliver just 10,000 tonnes, we can. We just swing out the conveyor belt and discharge straight onto the quay, rather than having to pump it ashore.

No need for pipelines, reclamation infrastructure, water discharge etc. The DBM vessels are also very well equipped for filling cofferdams or caissons. We have recently been doing similar assignments for the Blankenburg Connection and New Lock Terneuzen where smaller volumes were required to be filled directly behind the sheet piles in various phases of the construction works.”

circumstances, such as a limited allowed draught, we can deliver smaller loads. On a recent project in Le Havre, performed by the smallest vessel in the fleet ‘Mellina’ (which has a capacity of 5,000 tonnes), we had to fill in one caisson with two cargo loads of ca. 3,500 tonnes. The big advantage for the client is that the material is deposited directly into the works, with no further handling required.”

WORKING FOR DEME OFFSHORE

This flexibility is also an advantage for other members of the DEME Group.

Davy says his crew is very proud of projects they have performed for DEME Offshore.

‘Victor Horta’ had to ‘iron out’ the high spots at the Borssele offshore wind farm to accommodate Innovation’s spud legs. “This involved very close manoeuvring and concentrated dredging by the constructions.

DEME Offshore has really high standards.

We underwent all the inspections and thanks to the crew, we did very well.”

Both Davy and Bram certainly enjoy the industry and working for DBM. Bram comments: “DBM is always interesting, it is ‘a small company’ within a very large group.

It is really nice to know every colleague.”

Davy agrees: “I consider DBM to be like a family. It is the same people and they are nice people to work with. I think almost half of my crew were with me on ‘Pacifique’.”

Bram stresses: “Our main goal is to always go with full loads of course, but due to some

Davy Zeebroek on the bridge

FAB FOUR RECRUITER

Wouter Van Severen

After studying social work, Wouter Van Severen started his career with an IT recruitment agency in 2015 and later joined the Belgian HR consulting company PZ. One of his assignments was to assist former GeoSea and support its HR department. “This was in May 2018 and originally for three months and then that was extended and became a year and three months!” Wouter then remained with the Group when some new projects came along and moved to support the corporate recruitment team in September 2020.

At the time of the interview, Wouter had just decided to become a permanent member of the DEME team and will officially come on board in October. He smiles: “In a way I have filled my own vacancy!

personalities that influences me. People want to move forward. It is never a case of putting in as little effort as possible here, everyone is really engaged and they want to progress. They push themselves, challenge themselves.”

“As a consultant, you don’t always want to leave the organisation you are supporting and I didn’t want to do this again. I am always really involved and hate saying goodbye.

So now I don’t have to!”

Which performance are you most proud of ?

“In most cases there is a lot of pressure to have the right people, and we manage to fill all the vacancies in a decent amount of time. DEME’s focus on projects means that all of a sudden the company needs a lot of people. It can go from 10 to 30 vacancies in just 48 hours. There is no giving up and we have to be creative.

We look at all the options from contacting people via LinkedIn to approaching people at college who are studying the disciplines DEME needs. It makes you feel very proud when you manage to find applicants and then if you see that those people you recruited are still with the company a few years later. It is great to know that you found the right person!”

What makes DEME special for you?

“The main reasons I decided to join are that DEME has really good people in HR and other parts of the organisation. Many people have worked for DEME for a long time, which is a good sign, but at the same time you are always learning new things. There is also a lot of trust from your supervisor.

The environment is very stimulating and there are so many new initiatives and projects.

As well as this, I have always had a warm welcome, people help you find your way and are open to answer questions.

I also think DEME has a special status as an employer. When working at DEME it makes you very proud, you don’t have to explain the company, it is known for its quality and innovation.”

Is there anyone/something that has influenced your career at DEME in any special way?

“I can’t really put just one name on it – it is more a pattern you see in the employees’

What do you still dream about?

“I want to stay within HR and work on the further implementation of the new HR system, Workday. We want to make maximum use of this tool. It enables much more transparency regarding the hiring process, gives a better overview. Overall it is a more modern approach. I look forward to being involved in this and also finding extra people. I think we have more than 250 vacancies now. There are still a lot of challenges.

And looking further forward, there is a lot I would like to do at DEME and that’s the

It makes you feel very proud when you manage to find applicants and then if you see that those people you recruited are still with the company a few years later.

great thing about the company – people get chances. I am not sure exactly what opportunities there will be, but for sure you know there will be some.

Then personally, right now I really appreciate the small things – dinner with friends, seeing people. Ha-ha, not moaning if there is a long supermarket queue. I appreciate what I have.

But it will be nice to do more sport again, indoor football, cycling, any sport.”

Do you have a tip for DEME? “I have just joined, so I don’t want to be presumptuous. Generally, just keep up the good work. Continue being open and getting everyone involved.”

FAB FOUR – 33

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT GSR

A successful mission by an innovative team that perseveres

The Global Sea Mineral Resources (GSR) team members reflect on a pioneering and successful mission which they all declare is the highlight of their careers and feel proud to be part of.

PATII being launched

Conducting a world-first independently monitored technology trial at over 4.5 km below the ocean’s surface is not easy. If it was, it would have been done before now.

GSR has been preparing for this moment for the last decade. With the enormous increase in demand for minerals, deep-seabed mining could be an important addition to DEME’s portfolio in the future. Polymetallic nodules contain metals such as nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese. These metals are used in countless elements of our lives and are fundamental for the clean energy transition. They are vital for offshore wind components, solar panels and batteries to name just a few examples.

Francois comments: “This could be a very attractive sector for DEME, which has already demonstrated its commitment to sustainable development.” The team has been exploring the accessibility of polymetallic nodules for the past 10 years. Nodules are found on the surface of the seabed. Additionally, the nodules contain critical minerals in quite substantial quantities. In fact, nodules in the Pacific Ocean contain more manganese, nickel and cobalt that the entire global terrestrial reserve base for those metals.

As Céline explains, an important aspect of GSR’s work entails environmental studies and environmental impact assessments. “The

Patania II trial offers an unparalleled opportunity to better understand the impacts and effects of seafloor nodule collection and close knowledge gaps.” Modeling and field trials, along with monitoring to validate and/ or improve the models is such an important step to inform the next phases of engineering design and future environmental impact assessments and environmental management and monitoring plans.

A NEW BENCHMARK

One of the environmental effects being studied relates to sediment plumes, she adds.

“One of the main goals of the expedition was to monitor and characterise the sediment

plumes. We also wanted to learn what could be done to reduce them.” Kris says: “We are aiming to set the ‘benchmark’.”

One of GSR’s main research partners, the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has built a computer model and used a supercomputer to predict the behaviour of the plume. “Through field trials, we are really able to validate these ­models and to make further advances as needed,” says Hendrik.

The goal of the trial was to clear an area of nodules and “assess the impact and effects of nodule collection operations and reduce knowledge gaps”, he stresses, and this was certainly achieved. The impact and effects were monitored in the near- and mid- field by sensors and cameras on the Patania II itself and oceanographic moorings and other devices deployed around the test site. Far field measurements were primarily performed by AUVs and an ROV and other sampling devices.

BETTER THAN EXPECTED PERFORMANCE

Stéphane adds that Patania II also performed better than expected. “All of the engineering and design assumptions we had in the beginning were confirmed.”

M/V Normand Energy during transit

34 – PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

PATII on seafloor

And although all of the data is now being processed, and will be for many months, there are already signs that the sediment suspension generated is much lower than suggested from current literature.

GSR operates at the interface between science and technology – our job is rewarding and exciting.

TOP ROW: Samuel Donck, Hendrik De Beuf, Tom Schouten, Dean Crawford, David Todd, Ianco Morais and Thomas Peacock. MIDDLE ROW: Jordan Whitfield, Eusenio Fatialofa, Lee Brewis, Harm Stoffers, Stéphane Flamen, Niels De Bock, Benoît Leleux, Ross Sisterson, John Buchan, Wencke Verreydt and Céline Taymans. BOTTOM ROW: Franky Peeters, Fleur Vergote, Steven Goggin, Liam Murray, Kris De Bruyne and Danut Samoilof.

NOT ON PICTURE: Francois Charlet and Jeroen Martin

Who’s who?

“Finding engineering solutions to overcome challenges is very rewarding.”

Oceanographic mooring during deployment

Céline says she feels incredibly fortunate to work on such a project. “GSR operates at the interface between science and technology – my job is rewarding and exciting” A ROLLERCOASTER OF EMOTIONS

Kris smiles: “It has been a rollercoaster of emotions.” He looks back on the earlier 2019 campaign, which had to be aborted.

For those following GSR’s news, you will know that the deep-water trial of Patania II was originally scheduled for 2019. GSR had to postpone the trial of its purpose-built prototype nodule collector due to damage caused to the vehicle’s communications and power cable (umbilical) when it reached 3,000 m water depth. GSR spent a year completing a thorough root-cause analysis and resolving the issues before heading out to sea again.

PERSEVERANCE AND DETERMINATION FROM A WONDERFUL TEAM

In mid 2020, GSR successfully completed two key assessments of Patania II, paving the way for an expedition to the deep seafloor of the Pacific Ocean in 2021. The new state-ofthe-art umbilical and winch combination was successfully evaluated mid-water in the Atlantic Ocean at a depth of 4500 m, the same depth Patania II would operate in the Pacific Ocean. In a separate validation check, conducted within Belgium’s Exclusive Economic Zone, Patania II demonstrated its ability to drive and maneuver along the seabed.

Following the successful completion of these two assessments, GSR was ready to return to the deep seafloor of the Pacific Ocean.

Getting two ships with all the required equipment and their scientific and engineering teams to meet in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to conduct and monitor a world-first ultra-deepwater technology trial in the middle of a global pandemic, with the associated required quarantining and logistical delays is no easy task. However, the teams involved with this endeavor continued to demonstrate perseverance, ingenuity, flexibility, and teamwork that ultimately resulted in a successful trial that was successfully monitored.

Kris De Bruyne, Project Manager Kris has been with DEME for 10 years, starting off in the Dredging Activity Line in the Middle East and then he moved on to offshore wind projects in Germany and the UK. He joined GSR in 2015.

“I am very grateful to have been given the chance to work on this super interesting, cutting-edge project.”

Hendrik De Beuf, Chief Surveyor Hendrik started at DEME in 2014 and has been GSR’s surveyor since 2017. Hendrik is responsible for positioning and data management.

“GSR operates at the interface between science and technology.”

Céline Taymans, Environmental Engineer Céline joined GSR in 2017. Céline is responsible for all the environmental work conducted offshore during the trial.

“This expedition was such an achievement.”

Niels De Bock, Patania II Operator Technician Niels has been with DEME for 14 years and is one of Patania II’s Mechanical technicians. Previously he was a Barge Master and cutter operator, after starting out as a deckhand.

“It is a dream come true to work on this project.”

Francois Charlet, Exploration Manager Francois became part of the DEME team in 2008, initially in the Research and Production department. He has organised offshore campaigns to the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Cook Islands’ Exclusive Economic Zone.

“As a mechanical engineer, you normally develop the tools at your desk and then they get implemented and you often don’t see them again.

So, to spend seven weeks offshore seeing Patania II in operation was a real honour and privilege and something I am very proud of.”

Harm Stoffers, Design Manager Harm joined GSR in 2016 and previously worked on the deep-sea mining collaboration with IHC, OceanflORE, since 2012.

“We have worked on Patania II for such a long time so to see it all working and coming together and the team pulling together to achieve all the milestones has been a career highlight.”

Stéphane Flamen, Design Manager Stéphane has been with DEME for a decade. For five years he was a Technical Superintendent on hoppers and cutters and then worked at Dredging International before joining GSR.

35

“It was 6.00 AM and there was banging on my door.

That is never a good sign.”

Kris De Bruyne, GSR Project Manager, has just heard Patania II got disconnected from the umbilical in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

shock because we were in between two environmental experiments and we still had to meet our promise of conducting a trial in the German concession area.”

“At that moment, we still didn’t know if there had been additional damage due to the power loss,” stresses Hendrik, referring to the enormous pressure at 4,500 m water depths”

The two-vessel expedition team are 1,800 km from the mainland, out of helicopter reach and no other vessels are in sight. The GSR team on board the vessel Normand Energy had departed the Port of San Diego in the evening of April 2nd and had spent 24 days offshore in GSR’s concession area in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean. They were conducting a technology trial and a second vessel, Island Pride, housed 23 independent scientists who were conducting environmental monitoring of the trial. Another couple of days, and the expedition would relocate to the German licence area for an additional environmental impact and effects experiment. Everything was going very well, they ‘were operating like a well-oiled machine’ and the close-knit team were happy with the progress made so far. Patania II had successfully collected nodules and the team was able to track the sediment plumes that were ­created. Then came dive number 13.

THE ALARM WENT OFF AND THE SCREENS WENT BLANK

Nevertheless, the realisation that the umbilical could be repaired, was a huge relief.

The team knew that there was the very real possibility that the vehicle could be reconnected. The news that the vehicle could be reconnected was further supported when an initial visual inspection took place using an ROV. At first sight Patania II had not encountered additional damage. This was great news.

Anyone involved in groundbreaking, multi-­ stakeholder projects at DEME is used to ‘rolling with the punches’ and facing complex challenges which have to be solved. And GSR’s quest to explore the potential for responsible deep-seabed nodule collection to meet future metal demand embodies this DEME spirit. It is not just about being willing to innovate and push technology boundaries – it is also about facing seemingly impossible hurdles, persevering and ultimately succeeding, as a team.

Francois Charlet, Exploration Manager, was the GSR representative on the scientific consortium’s vessel Island Pride. He describes the moment he heard that Patania II had separated from the umbilical. “I was sampling at 6 am local time and heard the news. It was a

Harm Stoffers, Design Manager, vividly remember the noise which accompanied the incident. Harm explains: “We were recovering Patania II after dive 13. I was in the control cabin. Suddenly, there was a loud bang and the container was shaking. The alarms went off and all the screens went blank, there was no communication at all…. the vehicle was no longer connected to its cable.”

MADE IN BELGIUM

The GSR team rallied, the solution was clear.

“The team had to come together. Everybody needed to focus on bringing Patania II back on board so the trials could continue.

Everyone”, said Francois. Céline Taymans, GSR Environmental Engineer, says: “The energy on board was amazing. The prevailing attitude was: ‘let’s solve this, let’s do this’.”

Kris’ answer to how the one-of-a-kind vehicle managed to remain pretty much intact was simple; “She was Made in Belgium!” he laughs.

But any relief felt had to be put on hold.

The team was then faced with the mission to bring Patania II up from the Pacific seabed, 4,539 m below sea level .

“There is an acoustic beacon for tracking the position of the vehicle. We knew exactly where it was. Additionally, when we recovered the umbilical, we understood the umbilical connection could be repaired.”

Patania II can be reconnected!

Stéphane Flamen, GSR Design Manager, says: “Patania II was standing upright on the seafloor at 4,500 m water depth, without power or communication.”

METICULOUS PLANNING & TEAMWORK

Kris emphasises: “We had to have very good communication to bring Patania II on deck” Francois adds: “The ROV operators from Ocean Infinity were skilled at looking at shipwrecks, searching for artefacts, etc., so for them it was almost ‘business as usual’ and they were confident of success.”

Undoubtedly, it was meticulous planning that led to the successful recovery mission and the expertise and ingenuity of the team as they combined their collective brainpower. A key member of the GSR team was Offshore Project Manager Franky Peeters.

He is renowned for being a tower of strength and having a very calm, thoughtful manner, even when faced with challenges.

The years of planning and preparations by the team were about to be tested.

Harm explains that GSR had prepared a detailed, 37-point ‘concept of recovery’ plan.

Not only did they have this method statement in place in the event of this type of incident, they had also invested in the special ROV hooks, ropes, shackles and soft slings, which were crucial for such a recovery.

SUPPORT FROM DEME MANAGEMENT

ADVANCED PREPARATIONS WERE KEY

Francois stresses: “GSR and DEME really showed their faith in us. We told them, ‘there is still hope, Patania II is sitting on the seabed and is unharmed’. But we need to move NOW”.

This meant initiating the prepared recovery procedure.

Niels De Bock, Patania II Operator Technician, emphasises: “We went to the Pacific well prepared and these preparations are half of the job if you are to be successful. Although it is not possible to take every single spare part aboard, we had already fitted the top of Patania II with the recovery lifting equipment in case the umbilical got disconnected. It had all been thought about in advance. All scenarios were envisioned.”

LET’S SOLVE THIS

As Chief Surveyor Hendrik De Beuf, explains, there was one initial ‘beacon of hope’, literally and figuratively. Ultimately, a tiny acoustic beacon proved crucial to bring Patania II back to the surface. Patania II is an incredibly ­sophisticated piece of equipment with a staggering 170 sensors, plus 20 survey and environmental sensors and six cameras.

for the initial recovery from the deep seafloor. At 2,000 m water depth, the Patania II was then transferred to the Normand Energy.

Everyone focused on the task in hand.

For the recovery operation, an ROV was guided to the Patania II and connected the emergency rigging on top of the vehicle to a rope deployed from the ‘Island Pride’. GSR had a dedicated recovery rope on board its chartered vessel Normand Energy but the monitoring vessel, Island Pride, had a deep-water salvage winch and it was decided to use that

“Getting her back aboard was a true joint effort involving the whole GSR team, the ROV crew from Ocean Infinity and both vessels’ marine crew,” Harm says.

SUCCESSFUL TRIAL CONTINUES

Stéphane comments: “It was a very long day. We were very nervous, especially when Patania II reached the surface and started to swing. The crane operator was incredible, one swift move and she was again safely on deck.”

Getting her back aboard was a true joint effort involving the whole GSR team, the ROV crew from Ocean Infinity and both vessels’ marine crew.

Knollen verzameld gebruikmakend van Patania II

36

Patania II was reconnected to the umbilical and after some minor repairs, the vehicle was ready to dive again. So the team immediately picked up where they left off and a trial in the German concession area was successfully accomplished.

Niels admits that he was sweating when he had to move Patania II over the side again in the German concession area. “It seemed amazing that the vehicle was dive-ready again. Importantly, we have shown we can collect nodules in a responsible manner and we can also perform a recovery if necessary and at 4,500 m! It is truly a remarkable achievement, and one we should all be proud of.”

THE DEME SUITCASE

“I think I lost 5 kg as a new rookie on the block dismantling dredge lines and parts.”

Ruben Hulstaert, Marine Coordinator Since joining in 2011, Marine Coordinator Ruben Hulstaert has experienced DEME from both sides – ashore and at sea.

Ruben says he is not exactly sure what inspired him into the maritime world but coming from Antwerp, he was always fascinated by the busy port and the Tall Ships that regularly visit. Another trigger may have been the career days at high school.

Ruben grins: “I visited several academies, medical ones (my father is a doctor) and I was considering criminology for some reason, but the big difference was the Maritime Academy allowed you to go on the bridge simulators – it wasn’t just a desk in a classroom.”

Ruben also worked for DEME in the summer holidays while at the Antwerp Maritime Academy. “In those times I had the opportunity to get two weeks work experience in India on ‘Antigoon’ and I also went aboard ‘Lange Wapper’. At that point I hadn’t even left Europe!” He says he had a real affinity with DEME. “Everyone was so helpful on the vessels and I took every opportunity to go to the bridge to speak to the mates. They even let me move the suction pipe! It was fascinating.”

When he officially began his career at DEME, he was assigned to ‘Congo River’, which was a brand-new ship in 2011. And that is when Ruben got to know Captain

Taco Jaquet, the previous suitcase owner.

Joining ‘Congo River’ was ‘a baptism of fire’, Ruben admits. “As she was such a new ship we had a few teething troubles. We were supposed to be in Nigeria but following several breakdowns we actually got stuck in Ghana for six weeks because we had to repair the gearboxes. There were dredge pump and engine parts everywhere on the dockside. I think I lost 5 kg as a new rookie on the block dismantling dredge lines and parts. This was clearly a whole other story from the Maritime Academy as I had been used to having a nice, clean uniform! But it didn’t put me off, and I think I showed some dedication.”

EKO ATLANTIC – TOP PROJECT

Ruben joined as a trainee mate and eventually became first mate. During his 6.5 years on ‘Congo River’ the EKO Atlantic project in Lagos, Sabetta, The Maldives and Port Said were a few highlights. But for Ruben, Nigeria was the standout project because of the scale and its challenges. “The sand was very abrasive, there was a lot of wear and tear on the pumps and lines, particularly during discharge. We had to dismantle the pump cover and install new parts every few weeks. However, it was really rewarding and I learnt a lot.”

Ruben t r e a t s Hul

SWITCH TO ONSHORE CAREER

After working six weeks on and off, and given his young family, Ruben decided to look for possibilities with DEME ashore and in 2018 he became a Marine Coordinator. “At the Marine Operations Department (Activity Line Dredging ) we are maintaining and developing the Vessel Management System and implementing new marine legislation.” Although working from an office now, Ruben still gets the chance to visit the fleet. “I am able to travel to vessels and stay in close contact with them. This has been difficult during COVID times but I have a tight circle of colleagues and hope that we can catch up soon.”

His seafaring experience is an advantage in that he can use his practical knowledge.

“I understand the demanding working environment aboard and the everyday challenges that are encountered.”

SO WHAT/WHO WOULD RUBEN TAKE ON HIS DESERT ISLAND?

“For sure my children, Louis who is a year old and Marie-Lynn who is three. They are wonderful and exhausting! But they keep me going and motivated to start every day with a smile. However, I would also take a nice pillow so I could finally get some proper sleep on the other side of the island!”

NEXT TO PACK HIS SUITCASE: Gregory Deweerdt “Gregory is a colleague and a friend who also started off on ‘Congo River’ and is now with the Crewing Department. I have tremendous respect for them, they have all been under major pressure moving heaven and earth to keep the vessels running and to get people home. Chapeau!”

THE DEME SUITCASE – 37

THE HEROES

Our DEME Heroes are ready!

After a challenging year, we are proud to introduce you to our new DEME Heroes for 2021. 6 DEME Heroes will participate in the We Ride Flanders - Ronde Van Vlaanderen Cyclo in September as their ultimate challenge. The remaining 5 Heroes will appear at the starting line of the AG Antwerp 10 Miles in October.

MARC CASTRO JUSTO I am Marc, 28 years old and I am a Spanish citizen living in Ghent where I also attended university. I joined DEME in 2018 after finishing my Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, where I specialised in hydraulics. I started my career as a Project Engineer on board ‘Innovation’ which was working on the Hornsea Project One offshore wind farm at the time. It was a perfect start to learn the business. I have worked on several vessels since then but always in offshore wind. I am currently working at head office in the Logistics Department.

My girlfriend fully supports my Hero initiative.

I played basketball competitively for 12 years.

I quit this sport during my engineering studies,

but I never dropped out completely. Then I bought a race bike 1.5 years ago and started cycling in the cycling paradise that the Barcelona area is! However, the COVID confinement and rules ruined my training efforts.

Working offshore for long periods didn’t help either. I became demotivated. Being a DEME Hero will support my ambitions to get in perfect shape to ride the Tour of Flanders (Ronde van Vlaanderen) comfortably and at a good pace. My ultimate ambition is to go for real endurance races on gravel bikes such as the Atlas Mountain Race in Morocco which is 700 km!

I want to challenge myself to reach new limits.

Although I really want to push myself to the next level, I still want to be a good team player, supporting my fellow DEME Heroes. Biking has to be an altruistic sport. I will always reach out to my fellow Heroes needing support, as they will do for me if need be.

I want to show all DEME colleagues that everybody can complete one of the greatest cycling challenges in the world with effort and hard work. I want to be an example of sacrifice and commitment, with a smile on my face, representing the DEME spirit.

always had the ambition to exercise to stay healthy. There have been times when I fanatically started working out in the gym after my watch on board. However, when I had to go to the ‘Orion’ in China at DEME two years ago, this stopped. Now on the ‘Innovation’ I occasionally try, but it remains difficult to exercise after a 12-hour shift. Moreover, it is hard to impose a healthy diet on myself.

SANDER STEEL I am Sander. I am 32 and I graduated with a Master’s degree in Nautical Sciences from the Antwerp Maritime Academy (Hogere Zeevaartschool Antwerpen). I circumnavigated the globe on chemical tankers for three years and then worked on a pipelaying vessel for a while in the offshore business. I have been working at DEME since 2019, first on the ‘Orion’ newbuild project in China and Rostock, then on the ‘Flintstone’ and now I am on ‘Innovation’ as 2nd Officer DPO. My girlfriend fully supports me in my Hero ambition.

I have never been active in competitive sports.

I did some occasional swimming and running as a youngster but never persevered. I have

ALINE BRUYNBROECK

I am Sven, 47 years old, and have been working at DEME for 23 years. I am an industrial engineer and surveyor. For my first four years I was mainly aboard the fallpipe vessel ‘Seahorse’ and then I spent another five years as a Project Engineer on landfall works. I continued in the Activity Line Dredging (ALD) to become a Project Manager on increasingly important projects. Today, I am responsible for our dredging operations at head office. I am married and have a seven-year-old son. My family is entirely behind my Hero adventure.

38 – THE HEROES

I hope this Hero adventure will make me stronger, more energetic and improve my overall health. The Antwerp 10 Miles run is not the main goal, but my first big goal.

Afterwards I want to keep up and try to push my limits, for example by running a half marathon or a full marathon and I may even do this alongside some cycling too.

Adjusting my diet and staying focused on eating the right food will be the biggest challenge for me. I am also looking forward to combining this with my busy job.

Finding regularity in my exercise pattern and adjusting my diet in a healthy way will be the biggest challenge for me, especially aboard. I want to get into the right rhythm and maintain the correct discipline to start the ‘Antwerp 10 Miles’ in perfect shape. Mind and body fitness is a benefit for everything. That's what I want to achieve!

Finally, I also look forward to getting to know new colleagues through the Hero programme and to working with them towards a sporting goal. One DEME One TEAM!

the water polo bug. I have also participated in several running events, such as the Dwars door Brugge.

I like kitesurfing and sailing. I was mountain biking regularly and even ran distances of up to 10 km on the TTPI site in Singapore.

Nothing really fanatical, but I was exercising regularly. Settling back in Belgium, in combination with my demanding new job as an Operations Manager, cast athletic activity aside for me. Without really realising it, I dropped out.

SVEN DE BEENHOUWER

I hope that through the Hero programme I will finally find the trigger to get in shape in a structured way and with a healthy lifestyle.

I am Aline, 25 years old and I have been employed as a Surveyor at DEME for four years.

My trajectory within the company started as an intern in Mauritius, after which I joined the ‘Innovation’. Two years ago I then became part of the surveyor team at the Terneuzen site. Together with a few colleagues, we occasionally go in for sports, so they totally applaud this Hero initiative.

They sometimes call me a real water rat! As a child I practiced water ballet, then I got

Due to the loss of my team sports, I also lost the regularity. The Hero initiative is the ideal opportunity for me to pick up sports again and rediscover how it also stimulates you mentally, as well as physically. I have no cycling experience so far, so it is a very nice bonus to get things going under supervision. Having a goal is definitely an extra motivation.

Planning my training sessions during the week at the Terneuzen site will be a big challenge. But due to mutual motivation and support, my colleagues and I will do our very best.

My ultimate goal is far beyond the Tour of Flanders. Once back in the sporting flow, I want to maintain regularity in the coming years and continue to build on the healthy foundation that I laid again this year. There is no danger of me dropping out!

years, but I am aware of the positive effects of exercise, both mentally and physically. So I definitely want to pick things up again. I am committed to promoting – in the DEME colours – a healthy and sporty lifestyle. It seems challenging to me to get to know sporty (or ‘changing habits’) fellow colleagues within the company and to inspire our DEME people together with them. That too, is the purpose of my participation. and I have started to enjoy sports again!

I currently try to do something once or twice a week, but as a DEME Hero that will of course become a bit more intensive and focused.

I want to pick up the sporty life of the past again.

The biggest challenge for me will be the combination of the triangle of work – family – sport. It will take quite some planning.

EELCO VAN PUTTEN My name is Eelco, I am 44 years old and I have been employed by DEME for four years.

I previously worked at a Dutch engineering firm. I obtained a Master's degree in Civil Engineering in Delft. I am a Design Manager on the Blankenburg Connection project in the Netherlands. I am married and have two young children. My family is sporty at heart so fully supports my Hero adventure.

I did a lot of sport in my youth. But in my student days, this greatly diminished.

Afterwards I was also confronted with a medical problem. That has now been ­resolved

WOUTER BORGHIJS My name is Wouter, I am 48 years old and I have been employed by DEME for almost 25 years. I am a mechanical engineer and today I am working as General Manager NR DEME Offshore, but before that I have been active in almost all branches of the DEME Group, especially abroad, as Project Leader, Area Manager and Area Director. I am married with four children. The whole family is really sporty and will certainly support me in this Hero adventure.

YENTIL PEIRSMAN My name is Yentil, I am 26 years old, and I have been employed by DEME since October 2020. I am a mechanical engineer and work as a Technical Superintendent on the ‘Lange Wapper’. My girlfriend is also sporty and fully supports this initiative.

I have always played football quite intensively.

I've dropped out somewhat over the past few

My name is Charlot, I am 31 years old and, with a small interruption, I have been with DEME for eight years. I am a civil construction engineer and work as a Tender Engineer at DEC headquarters. I have a partner and a daughter. My partner fully supports me in this adventure and will even train with me.

I did some casual sports in my teens, but never in a competition. In my student years I started running, quite intensively at times, but still

After this year's Tour of Flanders, I will remain an ambassador for exercise at DEME. You can count on me!

As a Hero, I want to convey a message more than set a goal. From my own experience I want to inspire my colleagues with the thought that you should listen carefully to your body in all circumstances and should not be afraid to have yourself checked if you have complaints.

After this year’s Hero apotheosis I will simply stay in the flow. A quarter triathlon is my next goal.

Due to an injury, Eelco will participate in the Antwerp 10 Miles instead of We Ride Flanders.

In my teens I played badminton and squash, but my passion has always been competitive sailing. Even now I am, together with my whole family, a very keen sailor and that mainly requires strength and endurance. We will also run the Antwerp 10 Miles in October with the whole family! I need exercise because it reduces stress, helps me sleep better and makes me feel better overall.

Making time to work on my fitness will be the big challenge. On the other hand, I will continue to sail intensively and I will also have to combine that with my running training programme. I hope that the coaching that comes with the Hero programme will enable me to complete the exercise schedule perfectly.

After the 10 Miles I will certainly continue to run, again to support my sailing sport.

LEIDY RAMIREZ

SOPHIE VERCAUTEREN

I'm Leidy, 40 years old, and I've been employed by DEME for less than a year. I am an Engineer/Architect. I am a Purchase Coordinator at DEME Infra at the head office. I have a sporty partner who fully supports me in my ambition to be a DEME Hero.

My name is Sophie, I am 29 years old and I have been employed by DEME for 12 years.

I support the secretariat of the Fleet Service, Central Fleet Support.

I have been active in sports since my teenage years and I was supported in this by my sporty family. Four years ago I had pain in my right hip while playing sports but a small operation solved that. Now I want to build up my condition again slowly but surely and without pain, lose some weight and start practicing running again. Lasting health is my motivation.

It will be a challenge for me to remain patient with the build-up and to listen carefully to my body.

After the 10 Miles I will evaluate and then set new goals. I want to stay in the flow and regularly keep moving!

Scheduling the time needed to train will be a big challenge, as well as being disciplined enough to stick to the scheduled training sessions and their intensity.

The good feeling I get during and after exercise is a great motivator for me. I also want to convey that feeling to my colleagues to motivate them.

I want to go for a personal best in the 10 Miles and afterwards integrate running into my daily life in a healthy way. I might even run a marathon someday.

I've raced motocross from quite a young age. Now I still practice motocross occasionally but as a hobby rather than competitively. I have been running and cycling to stay in shape. Physical movement has always been important to me.

Regular training and endurance will be the biggest challenges for me to achieve this goal.

I expect that my sporty lifestyle will improve considerably and this will increase my focus on regular exercise. If so, this challenge will be successful.

After this year's apotheosis, the Tour of Flanders in April 2022 may be my next goal. I would then go for a longer distance or a convincing result. Time will tell.

meantime we have had a fitness room on board for many years, which, however, I haven’t used sufficiently so far.

with big ups and downs. I found the motivation to build up my fitness with my colleagues from DEC. I ran the Antwerp 10 Miles in 2017 and then the Strong Viking Obstacle Run with a nice result. However, due to the renovation of our house and the birth of my daughter, I have completely dropped out again.

CHARLOT TANGHE

Due to the work on board, it will be a challenge to stay motivated to complete my training programme. Exercising on board can be monotonous and is therefore not easy to sustain.

In addition, I also find it a challenge to motivate colleagues during this Hero programme and to encourage them to exercise.

EDDY VERSPORTEN My name is Eddy, I am 49 years old, and I have worked for DEME for 31 years. I studied electricity/electronics and evolved during all those years on board to my current position of Chief Engineer on the ‘Lange Wapper’. I am married and have two children. My family is really supporting my DEME Hero story.

I played football from the age of seven to eighteen. My work as a crew member made sports a bit more difficult at first, but in the

The Heroes programme will hopefully push me to put my exercise resolutions into action at last. That is my first motivation, but, no less important, I want to motivate the crew on board to exercise and eat healthily together with my fellow Hero Yentil. I want to radiate fitness to the young people. When you are fit you feel so much better, and things simply run better.

Sticking to my training programme and nutrition plan aboard will be the big challenge, but I want to – and shall – cycle the 170 km of the Tour of Flanders in September.

My exercise adventure doesn't end after September. I want to stay in the right flow and keep living a healthy life. I also want to work my way to the top of my first col, probably the Mont Ventoux.

39

DEME welcomes two exceptional new vessels to the fleet SPARTACUS & GROENEWIND

DEME welcomes two exceptional new vessels to the fleet – the likes of which have never been seen in the industry before.

‘Spartacus’, the world’s most powerful Cutter Suction Dredger, was named by godmother Annik Penders, the wife of the Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Croo on May 21, and ‘Groenewind’, the world’s first DP2, twin-hulled Service Operation Vessel serving the offshore wind industry, was christened

by Belgian Federal Minister of Energy, Tinne Van der Straeten on June 25.

‘Spartacus’ is a dredging colossus with a total installed power of 44,180 kW, giving it unrivalled production rates. As our CEO Luc Vandenbulcke, commented at the time: “‘Spartacus’ was designed with three main priorities at its core: pushing the boundaries of dredging potential, unprecedented autonomy and minimising the impact on the environment. We are proud to be a technological and sustainable leader in the industry and ‘Spartacus’ embodies this drive and innovative spirit.”

‘GROENEWIND’ PUSHES THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE

DEME again shows its ability to continually push the boundaries of what is possible.

Our SOV ‘Groenewind’ heralds a new era in offshore wind maintenance. The Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) design improves safety, comfort and workability, and enables the safe transfer of the maintenance technicians to wind turbines, even in significant wave heights of up to 2.5 m.

This amazing vessel is already deployed under a long-term charter contract with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, whereby it transports technicians to the Rentel and SeaMade offshore wind farms in Belgium. Its DP2 technology means that the vessel can hold

its position in rough seas but at the same time operate with lower fuel consumption.

An impressive fuel consumption reduction of up to 50 % can be achieved compared to a monohull SOV, further reducing the cost of wind farm maintenance.

Bart De Poorter, General Manager DEME Offshore Renewables, stated: “We continue to pioneer in all aspects of the offshore wind industry, but this time on the maintenance side, together with our partners SGRE and Otary, which share our ambitions for a carbon neutral future.”

You can read more about Groenewind in an interview with Captain Youri Sioen and First Engineer Alain Abbes on page 12.

MEET THE WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL CUTTER SUCTION DREDGER Discover everything about this unrivalled vessel and check out the brand new 'Spartacus' page.

CLICK HERE