Damen to Open Service Hub in Novorossiysk

Damen Damen Shipyards Group plans to establish a service hub in the Russian port of Novorossiysk as it has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Delo Group of companies. The LOI was inked during the NEVA 2017 trade fair in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Under the terms of the agreement, the cooperation between the duo regarding the new service hub will commence before the end of 2017. As explained, the primary aim of the service hub will be to optimize services provided to the growing number of Damen vessels operating in the Black Sea area. Currently, more than 30 vessels that Damen built are operating in the region. This is set to increase in the coming months, as Delo Services will take delivery of three Damen tugs in November. In addition, the handover of the fourth tug is scheduled for 2018. Having a service hub here will allow Damen to react very quickly to any service or maintenance issues, by which Damen ship owners can increase the uptime of their vessels. Moreover, an ongoing service programme can also lengthen the entire lifetime of a vessel while reducing the total cost of ownership, Damen said. 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, according to Damen. Part of DeloPorts, Aleksino Port Marina Shipyard is a ship repair facility located in the Port of Novorossiysk, on the north-eastern coast of the Black Sea.