Dutch offshore shipbuilder Damen has agreed to buy the Keppel Verolme shipyard from Singapore’s largest rig builder, Keppel Offshore & Marine.
Keppel said the proposed sale comes after a strategic review and as part of the company’s efforts to optimize its operations and rationalise its global network of yards.
“Keppel O&M continues to see opportunities in the offshore oil and gas market in Europe and the North Sea, and will service these markets through its network of yards in Singapore and globally,” Keppel said.
As for Damen Shipyards, the Dutch player said the acquisition of the Verolme shipyard in Rotterdam, would mark the next step in strengthening its repair and conversion activities within the regional ship repair and conversion market.
“Since 1957 the Verolme yard has been active in the Botlek area of the Port of Rotterdam with three graving docks, a quay capacity of over 1,800 metres and approximately 250 employees. With the largest dock measuring 90 x 405 metres Damen will gain capacity to cater for the largest maritime objects. Currently, Damen’s biggest dock in the Netherlands is located at Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam and measures 46 x 307 metres. Damen intends to continue activities in the Botlek area with the current employees of the yard.” Damen said.
The company added: “With the Verolme yard, Damen will have four large repair yards within close proximity of the Port of Rotterdam. The two yards in Rotterdam, along with Damen’s yards in Vlissingen and Amsterdam, will closely cooperate to maximise the use of each other’s expertise, further developing synergy advantages and jointly marketing their capacity, with the objective to offer more efficient and competitive services.”
A notification of the proposed transaction has been filed with the Dutch Authority for Consumers & Markets on 10 April 2017. The targeted timeline to close the transaction is by the end of the second quarter 2017.
Offshore Energy Today Staff