Damen’s crane barges make transshipment easy and efficient

Damen is a family owned business that started back in 1927, when brothers Jan and Rien Damen opened a small yard on the River Merwede in Hardinxveld, the Netherlands.

Since those humble beginnings, Damen Shipyards Group has blossomed into a major player in the shipping industry, offering shipbuilding, shiprepair, ship conversion, service and so much more. The group: comprises 55 companies; v has an annual turnover of €2.5 billion; v has 35 shipyards; v has 11,000 employees; and v delivers approximately 175 ships each v year.

Damen stands for fellowship, craftsmanship, entrepreneurship and stewardship. It provides maritime solutions through design, shipbuilding, ship repair and related services.

In the previous century, Damen revolutionized shipbuilding with standardization and serial production. More than 90 years and 6,000 ships later, those pillars are unchanged. Their importance is only growing with the need for increased sustainability and digitalization. Damen aims to combine its proven standardization with the innovations of digitalization to become the world’s most sustainable shipbuilder.

Vessels manufactured by Damen include: tugs; v workboats; v pilot & tender vessels; v ferries; v dredging; v offshore support vessels; v pontoons & barges; v defence & security; v research & science vessels; v cargo vessels; v fishing vessels; v shipyards & docks; v yachts; and v used vessels. v

This article focuses on Damen’s crane barges, which offer an invaluable service in the transshipment and offshore stevedoring markets.

Damen offers custom built crane barges to its own design, or develops them in close collaboration with clients. Equipment is essential and, therefore, Damen works together with the best suppliers, each having their own expertise and advantages. Hull shapes of these crane barges take advantage of the group’s research knowledge for stan pontoons. So, although they are designed to have a high and very safe stability they have minimal resistance during voyages.

Damen’s transshipment barge can be equipped with a grab, hook or spreader for container handling, has excellent mooring capabilities and comes with the fittings for a propulsion system pre-installed should customers want to upgrade at a later date.

Damen’s barges have large open decks that can be used to store any goods and offer the option to incorporate lashing eyes and container fittings to store containers and other cargo.

The Damen crane barges are equipped with high quality equipment and fuelefficient engines, complying with the latest rules and regulations. They have a smart winch and mooring arrangement, and winch arrangement is optimized for easy manoeuvring. The barges’ high stability enables increased cargo turnover, and the integration of systems and components makes the crane barges more efficient and safe.

The crane barge models offered by Damen include the Transshipment Crane Barge 6324, which is ideal for the transshipment of dry bulk cargoes:

TRANSSHIPMENT CRANE BARGE 6324

Length 63m v

Deadweight 1,720t v

Beam 23.5m v

Depth 4.5m v

Crane capacity 45t @ 36m v For transshipment of dry bulk, containers and breakbulk cargoes. Optimized for handling 35 tonne SWL up to 20 nautical miles in open sea conditions or 45-tonne SWL in sheltered water, inland waters and harbours. The Liebherr CBG 350 is designed as a ship crane and, therefore, the right choice for many operations. A reliable operation is ensured by using high quality European products. Cost-efficient solution for transshipment of dry bulk, containers and break-bulk cargoes. Utilize the barge as an all-rounder or as a dedicated piece of equipment for an optimized operation.

Damen is working on a design with a Liebherr CBG 500, which can handle about double the capacity of the Crane Barge 6324.

Other crane barges from Damen include:

CRANE BARGE 8025

Length 80.25m v

Deadweight 4,600t v

Beam 25m v

Depth 4.5m v

Crane capacity 400t @ 16m v

This floating crane is ideal for heavy lift, harbour and jetty construction. The floating crane is for construction of heavy marine works, jetties, monopiles, or for lifting of heavy topsides and pipe rack units. The large working deck is optimized by placing winches below deck and has a spacious 1,600m2 working deck with 10tonne/m2 allowable deck load. Twelve person day-accommodation with pantry, sanitary, change room, control room, first aid room and three offices, provided with ventilation, air conditioning and heating.

CRANE BARGE 4920

Length 48.75m v

Deadweight 800t v Beam 20m v

Depth 4m v

Crane capacity 80t @ 14m v

The Crane Barge 4920 is a heavily constructed, modern, non-propelled barge, custom built for BINCO with a four-point mooring system, a deck crane and free working deck space. Damen barges have a high deck load capacity and are suitable for a wide range of working environments. They can be completely custom-built and designed to accommodate to their purpose and usage. The barge will be used for maintenance and repair jobs in the oil and gas industry, mainly for floating pipelines. In addition, the barge will be providing modern crew accommodation and facilities. While the crane barge is designed to clean and repair pipelines, the simultaneously purchased anti-pollution barge, will be utilized to contain excess oil pouring out of the pipeline. Both vessels will be deployed for SPM operations and maintenance work; on inland waters, in harbours, deep sea and estuaries. The crane barge will be the biggest vessel in BINCO’s fleet to date.

CRANE BARGE 4518 Length 45.15m v Deadweight 500t v Beam 18.6m v Depth 3.8m v Crane capacity 140t @ 9m v

Floating crane for heavy lift, piling and grab operations with assisted propulsion. Floating crane can be used for construction and maintenance work on harbours and jetties, quay walls, breakwaters and dredging work. Autonomous operation with enhanced mooring and positioning winches, as well as assisted propulsion for manoeuvring and short trips. The newest model HS8300 HD crane anti-heeling system and assisted propulsion. Winches are installed amongst other systems to ensure operability in a wide range of maritime construction projects. DCi