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The puzzle pieces of the Combat Support Ship (CSS) are beginning to fall into place. This is the first ship in ten years that Damen Naval is building for the Royal Netherlands Navy, and after laying the keel on 2 June this year, the construction of the various sections is progressing steadily. Although the contours of the vessel are not yet visible, a large part of the puzzle is ready for actual assembly. Therefore, it was time to visit Galați, Romania.
On behalf of Damen Naval, Project Director Arjan Risseeuw paid a visit the shipyard. “It is a challenging project, but it is beginning to take shape and we are all working very hard to create something beautiful. The whole yard is full of pieces of the ship and we are slowly starting to put them together.”
The Combat Support Ship is slowly starting to take shape.
According to the most recent status, the drawing work for 116 of the 178 subsections is complete. That puts the first 6,200 of the total 7,500 tons on paper. A total of 6,600 gross tons of steel have been cut and 80 of the 178 sections are complete. Also, 22 sections are currently in process. The sections are being fitted with the pipework, of which 10,230 pieces have already been fabricated and 8,429 have been fitted. The construction of the 179-metre-long and 26-metre-wide Combat Support Ship is thus right on schedule.
Last month, the heaviest pieces of equipment were installed: four Wärtsilä W31 diesel generators. It is the first time these diesel generators have been delivered for a naval vessel. The choice of the W31 by Damen Naval and the DMO is based on the ambition to make the CSS as efficient as possible in terms of fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. The diesel generator is equipped with a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) unit, which means that the NOx emissions of the CSS comply with IMO Tier III regulations. The engine has optimal fuel efficiency over the entire operating range and has even been recognized by Guinness World Records as ‘the most efficient four-stroke diesel engine in the world’. In combination with the vessel’s hull shape and propeller design, the W31 will reduce the CSS’ fuel consumption by approximately 6% compared to a similar vessel with different diesel engines.
Recently, four Wärtsilä W31 diesel generators have been installed in one of the sections of the ship.
Furthermore, Damen has worked closely with Wärtsilä and the DMO to reduce the noise and vibration levels of the four generator sets. To this end, the engine and generator were built on a basic frame structure. “Placing the generator sets in the sections was a real feat. Now that they are in place, the sections can be built over them,” adds Arjan.
“It is a challenging project, but it is beginning to take shape and we are all working very hard to create something beautiful." Project Director Arjan Risseeuw
The final assembly of the supply ship is a well-thought-out process where nothing is left to chance. For example, module 1 (back of the ship) is built on blocks in a dry part of a dock. Modules 2 and 3, after launching sideways down the ramp, are then transported to the dock as a single unit and attached to the first module. Then module 4 (the front of the CSS) will be attached, followed by the installation of module 5: the front part of the superstructure of the ship with the bridge.
The diesel generators have been wrapped and protected so that construction can continue around and on top of them.
“As we look ahead, there are a number of highlights coming up,” says Arjan. “At the beginning of February, we will be pulling the first cables. 50 km of cable has now been ordered of the total of about 600 km of cable that will eventually go into the ship. Another big event is the side launch of modules 2 and 3 in April. In addition, we are busy engineering and building a ‘buoyancy aid’, a buoyant body so we can move the hull at even keel from the dry to the wet dock.”
The final assembly of the supply ship is a well-thought-out process where nothing is left to chance.
This will take place around October next year. After placement of the propulsion train (axles/uptails and rudders), the ship will float up and be completed in the deeper ‘wet’ part of the dock. As soon as the remaining part of the imposing superstructure, including the mast (module 6), is placed, CSS Den Helder will leave the dock in Galați and the ship will be further outfitted at the finishing quay. After that, all systems will be commissioned.
“The ship is being built in its entirety in Romania, including the trial run on the Black Sea. This will be followed by a finishing period for the last remaining points and the ship will sail through the Bosporus to the Netherlands. It is the first time that one of our ships will sail directly to Den Helder for the handover, without stopping off in Vlissingen. In Den Helder, the ship will be equipped with several Marine systems where DSNS will assist,” explains Arjan.
Throughout the CSS project, Damen Naval has always emphasized that the construction of this naval vessel is a joint effort between the DMO, Damen Naval and a large number of Damen Naval subcontractors. To date, 133 subcontracts have been awarded. 98 of these, with a total value of more than 110 million euros, involve Dutch maritime companies. “Every project is special, and it is great to be able to build another ship for our own Royal Netherlands Navy after ten years; especially one with so many Dutch suppliers,” concludes Arjan.
A total of 6,600 gross tons of steel have been cut and 80 of the 178 sections are complete.