Damen Shipyards Group said it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Delo Group of companies, establishing plans to open a service hub in the Russian port of Novorossiysk.
According to Damen, the new hub will aim to optimize the services provided to the growing number of Damen vessels operating in the region in addition to strengthening its relationship with the Delo Group.
The LOI was signed by representatives from the two companies during the NEVA 2017 trade fair in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The open-ended agreement states that cooperation between Damen and Delo Group of companies regarding the new Service Hub will commence before the end of 2017.
Damen operates service hubs around the world, and the company said its decision to establish the newest one is based in part on the large number of Damen-built vessels that operate in the Black Sea area. Currently more than 30 vessels that Damen built are operating in the region. Having a hub here will allow Damen to react quickly to any service or maintenance issues, by which Damen ship owners can increase the uptime of their vessels. Moreover, an ongoing service program can also lengthen the entire lifetime of a vessel while reducing the total cost of ownership.
This current number of Damen vessels operating in the area is set to increase in the coming months, as Delo Services (part of Delo Group of companies) takes delivery of three Damen ASD 2310 tugs in November. Handover of a fourth ASD 2310 is scheduled for 2018.
In addition to providing service support to vessels in the area, the new service hub will also have relevance to operations at Aleksino Port Marina Shipyard, part of Delo Group’s DeloPorts, a ship repair facility located in the Port of Novorossiysk, on the northeastern coast of the Black Sea. Damen intends to assist the shipyard by adding value to its service and repair portfolio.