Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen is currently working on the ‘pre lay-up docking’ of the Royal Netherlands Navy amphibious transport ship HNLMS Rotterdam. Why is that necessary? And what does that entail? DSV Project Manager Peter Verstraete explains all.

“The decision was made that the HNLMS Rotterdam would be out of service for some time: a strategic lay-up. So, the purpose of this pre-lay-up docking is to get the ship ready for a prolonged period of inactivity,” begins Peter. “This means that this project is centred around conserving and preserving the main ship systems as well as possible for the future.”

The purpose of this pre-lay-up docking is to get the ship ready for a prolonged period of inactivity. The purpose of this pre-lay-up docking is to get the ship ready for a prolonged period of inactivity.

After arriving at the Vlissingen-Oost yard on 15 September, the HNLMS Rotterdam entered DSV’s covered drydock on 24 September. Here, the DSV team worked on removing the major ship systems, applying a new paint system to the hull, and replacing the cold-water makers.

“Besides putting the ship into ‘operational reserve’, another important part of this project was to identify what scope of maintenance work would be necessary to bring this ship back into service: to be ready for operations.”

HNLMS Rotterdam in DSV's covered Dock 2. HNLMS Rotterdam in DSV's covered Dock 2.

 

Since entering service in April 1998, the HNLMS Rotterdam has visited DSV twice: in 2009 for a scheduled maintenance period and in 2014 for a Mid-Life Upgrade. This ship is at age and has risen through the ranks,” adds Peter. “But not so old that she is at the end of her life. The work we are doing is more to put her into a kind of hibernation because of the possibility that she will be needed in the future.”

The project demonstrates the close working relationship between DSV and the Royal Netherlands Navy’s Directorate of Materiel Sustainment (DMI). “What usually happens here at DSV is that the ship owner prepares the technical specifications of the project themselves. And then we prepare our cost estimates and prepare the project based on these specifications,” explains Peter. “However, this project was different: Damen assisted the Royal Netherlands Navy with the preparation of the technical specifications. This put the project on the right track from the outset. It has been a great cooperation with DMI: a very pragmatic docking with a real ‘ship repair’ mentality.”

DSV’s work on the HNLMS Rotterdam continues until 28 February, at which time the ship will be towed from the yard to her ‘hibernation’ destination.

In April 2023, HNLMS Rotterdam participated in the NATO exercise Joint Viking in Norway. In April 2023, HNLMS Rotterdam participated in the NATO exercise Joint Viking in Norway.

Want to know more about the HNLMS Rotterdam?
HNLMS Rotterdam is an amphibious transport ship of the Royal Netherlands Navy. She was built at Damen Naval’s Vlissingen-Oost yard and was launched in February 1997. She entered service in April 1998, and since then has operated as a truly multifunctional vessel, being deployed as floating airport, port, parking garage, hospital, hotel, and communication centre. The L800 marking on the bow is the vessel’s NATO designation. HNLMS Rotterdam is the older and smaller sister ship of HNLMS Johan de Witt, known recently at Vlissingen-Oost for the Mid-Life Upgrade carried out by DSV and Damen Naval.

Tech Specs
Type: Rotterdam-class landing platform dock
Displacement: 12,750 tonnes
Length: 166 metres
Beam: 27 metres
Draft: 6 metres
Range: 6,000 nautical miles
Crew: 128
Capacity: 90 armoured personnel carriers or 32 main battle tanks
Troops: 611 marines
Hangar capacity: 6 Lynx or 3 NH90 NFH helicopters

Check out this short video about HNLMS Rotterdam from the Dutch Ministry of Defence.

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