Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam (DSR) will soon deliver oceanographic research vessel OceanXplorer to OceanX following her extensive rebuild. The 87.1-metre vessel, formerly known as Alucia2, will continue the work of her sister vessel Alucia, broadening scientific understanding of the planet’s oceans and revealing its discoveries to the world.

Founded in 2018, OceanX’s mission is to explore the ocean and bring it back to the world. OceanX combines next-gen technology, science, and storytelling to educate, inspire, and connect the world with the ocean and convenes leading scientists, media entities, global leaders, and philanthropy partners to drive towards greater understanding and protection of our oceans. OceanX’s milestones to date include capturing the first-ever footage of the Giant Squid in its natural habitat and the first-ever 1,000-meter deep sea submersible dives to the Antarctic seafloor.

As OceanX believes the ocean is our planet’s most important and least explored natural resource, their team sought to create a state-of-the-art science and media vessel, converting a former oil-survey ship into a one-of-a-kind platform for exploration, science, and storytelling OceanX called upon Damen Shiprepair & Conversion to carry out an extensive scope of work to ready this new vessel, OceanXplorer for the seas. The work includes, amongst other things, installation of scientific laboratories and research facilities into a vessel offering yacht-standard accommodation. A new sensor platform, called the Gondola, was fabricated and installed beneath the keel and feeds information to the research locations and to the brand-new bridge. All necessary basic and detailed engineering for structural, piping, and electrical works was performed at the Yard.

Furthermore, the work included closure of the vessel’s moon pool, fabrication of box keel and installation of stabilisors, ROVs, and submersibles that will, in future, be launched via a winch and the vessel’s newly installed 40-ton A-frame. OceanXplorer’s fully independent launch systems provide the capability for its ROVs, submersibles, and helicopter to be launched simultaneously.

Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam managing director Jan Kees Pilaar said of the project, “This has been an exciting project for DSC to undertake and a fantastic opportunity to participate in something with the potential for significant positive impact on our natural environment and the lives of those living on it. The results of the project are very impressive to see and we are very proud of what has been achieved.”

VIDEO

A short video is available at youtube.com
click on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-Xvs9_vfoQ

OceanX recently released video footage of OceanXplorer leaving dry dock for the first time. Check OceanX youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3_H98ZINzMGlNOT_jg1HDw/featured

Damen Shipyards Group

Damen Shipyards Group operates 36 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 12,000 people worldwide. Damen has delivered more than 6,500 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers around 175 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Based on its unique, standardised ship-design concept Damen is able to guarantee consistent quality

Damen’s focus on standardisation, modular construction and keeping vessels in stock leads to short delivery times, low ‘total cost of ownership’, high resale values and reliable performance. Furthermore, Damen vessels are based on thorough R&D and proven technology.

Damen offers a wide range of products, including tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons and superyachts.

For nearly all vessel types Damen offers a broad range of services, including maintenance, spare parts delivery, training and the transfer of (shipbuilding) know-how. Damen also offers a variety of marine components, such as nozzles, rudders, winches, anchors, anchor chains and steel works.

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) has a worldwide network of eighteen repair and conversion yards of which twelve are located in North West Europe. Facilities at the yards include more than 50 floating (and covered) drydocks, including the longest, 420 x 80 metres, and the widest, 405 x 90 metres, as well as slopes, ship lifts and indoor halls. Projects range from the smallest simple repairs through Class’ maintenance to complex refits and the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DSC completes around 1,300 repair and maintenance jobs annually, both at yards as well as in ports and during voyage.

OceanX

OceanX is a mission to support scientists to explore the ocean and to bring it back to the world through captivating media. Uniting leading media, science, and philanthropy partners, OceanX utilizes next-gen technology, fearless science, compelling storytelling, and immersive experiences to educate, inspire, and connect the world with the ocean and build a global community deeply engaged with understanding, enjoying, and protecting our oceans. OceanX is an initiative of Dalio Philanthropies, which furthers the diverse philanthropic interests of Dalio family members. For more information, visit www.oceanx.org and follow OceanX on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT

Ben Littler Communications Advisor +31 (0) 183 65 5546
+31 (0) 610 46 5742 ben.littler@damen.com www.damen.com

Rida Bint Fozi
OceanX
+1 212 337 8870 rida@thetascgroup.com www.oceanx.org