Damen Shiprepair Brest (France) received its 10th LNG carrier repair order from GDF Suez in-house technical vessel manager Gazocean.
The vessel will undergo extensive maintenance works. The 73,646M3 capacity vessel was delivered under the name of Gaz De France Energy in 2006 at Chantiers de L’Atlantique in St.Nazaire and was renamed in 2009. The vessel was the first vessel fitted with a Dual Fuel Diesel Electric Propulsion which is now a new standard of the LNG shipping industry and has a GTT CS1 type LNG containment system. The vessel will stay in the yard for approximately 55 days of which 20 days in dry-dock.
Damen Brest’s Managing Director Jos Goris comments: “The long established relationship of the yard which dates back from the SOBRENA times with both Gazocean and GDF SUEZ GLOBAL GAS & LNG has certainly helped us in securing this order. Following nine foreign LNG carriers under Damen Management, all employees are proud to see the first French owned LNG carrier in our yard.
“The LNG experience and know-how in France is second to none with companies like GDF Suez, GTT, Europe Technologies/ERI, Cegelec, CryoStar, APERAM, AMRI all contributing to the French LNG expertise cluster. This adds an enormous value to the service we offer our international clients,” adds Goris.
GDF Suez LNG Senior Vice President Operations & Technical Shipping Jacques Sainson comments: “GDF SUEZ is very happy to return to the Brest shipyard and is confident to obtain the best service under the DAMEN flag.”
Damen Shiprepair Brest is well known for its LNG expertise dating from the SOBRENA period and has the re-opening of the yard in April 2012 slowly but surely regained market share of North Western European LNG carrier dockings.
Presently, the yard has two LNG carriers in dock: a large deep-sea pipelaying vessel and a shuttle tanker from KNUTSEN with an extensive scope of work.