HNLMS Friesland

On Monday, August 21st, around 1:00 PM, the high-capacity shore power supply of drydock 1 was put into operation at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV). The Directorate of Material Maintenance (DMI), with the Offshore Patrol Vessel HNLMS Friesland, had the privilege of being the first to use this electrical installation. This event took place in the presence of representatives from the customer, the ship, the port authority North Sea Port, the installer Delmeco, real estate manager KSG, and the shipyard itself. All parties involved emphasised the sustainability goal achieved through this upgrade.

What started as an idea to implement this improved facility over a year ago is now a reality. Through a transformer, the existing 10KV cable at the shipyard, which was originally used for drydock pumps only now supplies 1200A where in the dock before only 350A could be supplied. The shipyard's fixed dock pumps are only used during the process of drydocking a ship. Therefore, after a ship is docked, this electrical capacity remains available for other potential applications. This opportunity is now being gratefully utilised, optimising the available capacity at the shipyard.

The current generation of ships demands more electrical power and the shipyard had to increasingly resort to diesel generators. This solution not only reduces emissions but also cuts down mobilisation costs for temporary generators and enhances operational reliability. The latter is mainly due to the minimal maintenance required of moving parts in the new solution.

DSV is also delighted to welcome DMI as one of its major clients, especially with a Damen-built ship, for this inaugural usage.

Finally, we would like to thank all the parties involved who contributed to this project and made it possible in a relatively short time. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), which played a role in realising the shore power supply through subsidy support.