Damen shipbreaking pilot project to be made available for larger vessels

(Posted on 23/04/24)

Damen Shipyards Group is launching a pilot project in which a small tug will be dismantled at Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam’s Botlek site in a circular way and entirely in line with the EU regulations. The project will serve as a trial, after which this approach of ‘green’ ship dismantling and recycling will be made available commercially, and also for larger vessels.

“This pilot project fits in perfectly with our ambitions to become the most sustainable shipbuilder in the world,” explains Arnout Damen, the CEO of Damen Shipyards Group. “The question is not just how we design, build, maintain and refit our ships, but also, and precisely, how we dismantle them at the end of their lifespan and, most importantly: recycling.”

The Jan, which was built in 1927, will be dismantled in line with the regulations set out in the Ship Recycling Facility Plan at Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam’s Botlek site. That is one of the few sites in the Netherlands on the EU list of certified Ship Recycling Facilities. So the safe and environmentally friendly dismantling of the 15.4-meter-long tug is guaranteed.

Bottelier Slooptechniek is the partner in the alliance responsible for the dismantling and sorting work: the company is a fully certified specialist in circular demolition.

“We identify all the materials from the Jan and assess their potential for reuse,” says Nick van Egten, commercial director and co-owner of the Bottelier Group. In that way, the maximum environmental and economic return can be generated from the materials in their residual life.”

After the completion of the pilot project, there will be complete transparency about the amounts of dismantled materials and how they have been reused, recycled, or disposed of.

An approach has already been drafted with respect to the commercialisation and financing of circular ship dismantling projects in the future. Damen Financial Services is working in this area with Offshore Ship Recycling Rotterdam.

Damen operates 35 shipyards and 20 other companies in 20 countries, supported by a worldwide sales and service network. Damen delivers in the region of 100 vessels per year, with a total production value of over three billion euros, offering direct employment to approximately 12,500 people.