Damen Shipyards Group held a joint steel cutting and keel laying ceremony at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania. The event simultaneously marked two significant milestones in the construction of an innovative Multi-Purpose Ship for the Portuguese Navy. The event was hosted by Damen Chief Commercial Officer Jan-Wim Dekker and attended by honourable guests, the Portuguese Minister of National Defence, Nuno Melo and the Chief of Portuguese Naval Staff, Admiral Gouveia e Melo. The Chief Guests carried out the steel cutting and keel laying of the vessel. The contract for the ship was signed by the two parties in November last year following a tender process. The project is funded by the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) that is part of NextGenerationEU (the economic recovery package to support EU member states affected by the COVID-19 pandemic).
Minister of Portuguese National Defence Nuno Melo said, “The vast maritime area under Portuguese jurisdiction represents a big part of the Exclusive Economic Zones of all European Union Member States. Safeguarding this domain is essential, particularly as we face growing strategic competition in the North Atlantic. It is imperative that we strengthen our capabilities to address these threats and secure the resources of our seabed, which are of critical strategic value.
Chief of Portuguese Naval Staff Admiral Gouveia e Melo, said, “This is a ship with a revolutionary concept that was conceived by the Portuguese Navy. It is a multi-domain ship, specifically in the air, surface, and subsurface components. It can carry out numerous and varied missions, such as scientific research and experimentation related to drones and robotics, as well as support in emergency and disaster situations. It represents a significant advantage in construction, operation, and maintenance costs, with an open modular architecture that allows for quick adaptation according to the missions and tasks assigned to it.”
The Multi-Purpose Ship forms part of Damen’s Support Ship range. The range, spanning 7000-9000 tons, applies proven, standard solutions where possible to ensure fast, reliable and cost-effective construction. Considering a concept presented by the Portuguese Navy, Damen has cooperated closely with its client in the development of a vessel to meet its specific requirements The ship, the NRP Dom João II, offers unrivalled versatility, with capabilities spanning scientific and technological research, search & rescue, emergency relief, as well as maritime safety and environmental & meteorological monitoring.
In acknowledgement of the growing importance of drones and autonomous technology in emergency relief and surveillance, the Multi-Purpose Ship is capable of transporting and launching Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV), Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). For the latter, this includes a 94 x 11 metre flight deck. The 107-metre vessel features 650m2 deck space, suitable for the transportation of up to twelve TEUs. These can be used to house mission-specific modular systems such as hospitals, hyperbaric chambers and ROV equipment, as required. To facilitate oceanic exploration and research, the Multi-Purpose Ship will feature both state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and accommodation for scientific personnel.
