Imtech Bags Over EUR 28 Million In Naval Orders
Imtech has received several naval orders for new and existing ships worth over EUR 28 million. Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding granted Imtech the contract for the design, production, delivery and implementation of various technological solutions on board the Dutch Joint Support Ship (JSS) Karel Doorman. Imtech also obtained orders for a technological upgrade of the Dutch supply vessel Amsterdam.
In addition Imtech will carry out a technological upgrade of two M-class frigates owned by the Belgian Navy. The contract were officially signed today by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding and Imtech at the NIDV congress (the Netherlands Industry Association for Defence and Security) in Rotterdam. René van der Bruggen, CEO Imtech: “Imtech is one of the strongest technology players on the global market for naval vessels and works for many navies. Contracts like the new logistic support ship Karel Doorman are important to us. Not just in terms of continuity, but also as a base for global export of innovative technologies. The close co-operation with clients such as the Royal Netherlands Navy, Damen and other players in the maritime chain enables us to display our knowledge and skills and demonstrates our technological innovations again and again. That is why we have been awarded orders from among others the Turkish, Moroccan, Singaporean and South Korean navies. This has a positive impact on Dutch employment and confirms the important position of the Dutch maritime industry in the global maritime playing field.”
Karel Doorman
The Karel Doorman will replace the Zuiderkruis which dates from 1975. With a displacement of nearly 28,000 t and measuring 205 m in length, this is one of the biggest naval ships ever built in the Netherlands. The vessel’s primary tasks involve supplying Dutch naval ships and/or the fleet with which it is operating and transporting heavy and/or special equipment to support land operations from the sea. Furthermore, the vessel can also be used for humanitarian relief operations and civil assignments such as disaster relief. In total, the ship can accommodate 300 crew members. The ship has a helicopter deck for two helicopters, a loading and unloading facility for landing crafts and various radar, communication and defence systems.
Platform Automation
Imtech is responsible for the platform automation (the heart of the ship), the fully automated integrated bridge, the majority of the power supply and various electrical and communication solutions. The ship will be delivered to the Royal Netherlands Navy in 2014. With a contract from the Defence Material Organisation, Imtech is upgrading the hardware and software of the existing platform automation dating from 1995. This involves the replacement of computers, the inclusion of new fibre-optic technology and the implementation of new processors as well as measurement and control solutions, which will include appropriate new and faster software. This will significantly improve the ship’s platform functionality. The project will be completed in 2012.
M-Class Frigates
For the Belgian navy, Imtech is providing the technological upgrade of an existing integrated control and monitoring system on board two M-(multipurpose) class frigates. The entire system, consisting of numerous linked computer systems distributed throughout the ships which control and monitor all the platform technology on board, is being replaced by a new state-of-the-art version. The first ship will be ready in 2012 and the second in 2014.