Damen subsidiary buys Keppel’s major Dutch shipyard

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC), a part of Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards Group, said it has acquired a major shipyard from Singapore-based Keppel Offshore & Marine.

DSC’s acquisition of the yard follows an initial agreement made between the two parties in April of this year, said a statement from the company. With this takeover, the Keppel Verolme shipyard, including its 250 staff members, will continue operations under the Damen flag starting from this month.

With three dry docks, the largest of which measures 405 x 90 m, and almost 2 km of quay capacity, the Verolme yard, located in Rotterdam’s Botlek harbour, will significantly expand DSC’s portfolio, it added. DSC already operates eight repair and conversion yards in the Netherlands and another eight abroad.

On the acquisition, Durk-Jan Nederlof, managing director of DSC, said: “We look forward to joining forces with the Verolme yard and its people. The facilities and personnel are complementary to our existing organisation. This acquisition will enable us to serve our existing clients even better while opening up new opportunities.”