Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards Group recently signed a contract with Gerd Stensen AS from Norway for the delivery of a Damen Stan Tug 1606. The new vessel is set to be used by the Norwegian company for its dredging operations.

Gerd Stensen, like Damen, is a family company. Their dredging work includes but is not limited to the extraction of coral sand for the French agricultural industry. They have previously operated a Damen Stan Tug 1, still going strong after 36 years and recently sold to a vessel operator in the Baltics, it said.

The order for the new Stan Tug 1606 came about when the client received a new contract for a dredging operation in the north of Norway.

The tug will provide support to the dredging operation, manoeuvring a pontoon in the Norwegian fjords, it added.

The contract required that Gerd Stensen was able to begin work quickly. Thanks to Damen’s practice of building standardised vessels for stock, the tug was quickly available.

Asgeir Stensen, one of the owners of Gerd Stensen AS, visited Damen’s headquarters in Gorinchem, the Netherlands to see and try out the tug late September. Satisfied with the vessels’ performance, they signed a letter of intent the same day, it added.

Since then Damen has been putting the finishing touches to the tug and adapting it to the client’s needs. This has included fitting the vessel with a towing winch in order tow and manoeuver the pontoon and an additional heating system to deal with the northern climate. Upon completion, the tug will be transported on the deck of a liner vessel from the Port of Rotterdam for delivery in Norway.

Eirik Eide, sales manager – Norway, Damen, said: “This is yet another example of how beneficial standardised stock building is for the maritime industry.”

“Not only will the client receive a product that has proven itself in operations many times already, but the vessel is ready built for the fastest possibly delivery. In this way, Damen supports its clients of all sizes and all locations, throughout the world,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service