Ship repair JV to boost services on west coast of Africa

Damen starts repair activities in Dakar

SENEGAL: Damen Shipyards Group and the Senegalese Government have formed a joint venture (JV) to operate Damen Shiprepair Dakar on the West African coast. The Senegalese Government is represented by the Société des Infrastructures de Réparation Navale (SIRN). Together, they will offer a comprehensive range of ship repair and maintenance services.

Having identified the strategic position of the facilities, Damen views the JV as an opportunity to provide support to both existing and new clients operating in the area within the offshore energy industry.

Although not currently focused on newbuild at the yard, Damen is not ruling out restoring these capacities as a long-term ambition. The Dutch company is already active in the ship building in Africa at their Cape Town shipyard which has focused primarily on pursuing South Africa’s navy and port authority fleet expansion opportunities.

Facilities

The yard boasts a 191 x 25 metre drydock, 235 x 38 metre floating dock as well as a 63 x 15 metre synchrolift with a lifting capacity of 1,200 tonnes with four cradles. It also features 500 metres of quayside with a draught of nine metres.

The staff complement is currently over 300 personnel, and activities are supported by numerous subcontractors.

Babacar Faye, Managing Director of SIRN, said, “This joint venture with Damen marks a key step in revitalising Dakar Shipyard, supporting sustainable growth, skills transfer, the upgrading of technical capabilities, and long‑term value for Senegal’s economy and workforce.”

Damen’s first priority in its new role as operator is to bring the yard into alignment with the rest of its shipyards, in terms of Health, Safety, Environment, and Quality processes and procedures, IT landscape integration and HR management.

Jeroen Heesters, Managing Director of Damen Shiprepair, said, “We are very excited to begin this joint venture. The Dakar Shipyard is very well positioned to support our clients in the coming years. The yard enjoys an excellent reputation and benefits from extensive experience and knowledge generated over decades of operation.

“From the outset, we intend to develop those capabilities, committing ourselves to a considerable Capital Expenditure investment programme. This will provide the infrastructure required to bring the yard into line with our other repair yards around the world. It will also enable us to attain the high levels of safe practice demanded by the offshore energy industry.”

Damen Regional Director Africa Frederick Vandepitte added, “As is Damen’s practice wherever we operate in the world, we will be focusing on building sustainable ship repair capabilities. This includes the opening of a local training centre. With this, we will further develop the already high level of skills at the yard, and help to create additional employment opportunities in the region,” said Damen Regional Director Africa Frederick Vandepitte emphasising the company’s intention to invest in people.