Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding can look back on a profitable 2020. “The turnover increased and the profit percentage can be described as satisfactory,” says Managing Director Hein van Ameijden. He expects sales to continue to increase in 2021.

Like so many other companies, DSNS also experienced the Covid pandemic firsthand in the eventful year that was 2020, says Hein van Ameijden. “Fortunately, the number of cases we had was relatively low. But we have employees who have lost family members or loved ones to the disease without being able to say goodbye to them. You mustn’t underestimate the impact of this…”

From an economic perspective, DSNS had a good year, “but the Damen Shipyards Group as a whole has been hit hard and looks back on a loss-making year,” adds Hein. “For example, the market for repair and conversion of cruise ships has completely collapsed and of course the Group feels that. DSNS, on the other hand, had a good order intake. Moreover, it was easier for us to find new people than it was before corona. Things are not going well in aircraft construction, and due to declining demand for specialists in that sector, interest in working at DSNS has increased.”

DSNS and a few other partners within the Naval division are now even more visible as a group specialised in Naval Construction

For DSNS, 2020 was dominated by major projects: the construction of the four multipurpose F126-class frigates for the German Navy, and the Combat Support Ship HNLMS Den Helder, for which the steel cutting has commenced. In addition, several smaller projects contributed to the company’s success. “In 2020, we were also fully engaged in the project definition of the four new M-frigates for the Netherlands and Belgium. The German frigate project will speed up considerably in 2021 and will grow in terms of personnel. Since last summer, we have built up a close working relationship with Lürssen in Bremen, laying a solid foundation for long-term future cooperation.” Shipbuilder Lürssen owns Blohm+Voss in Hamburg, which will build the frigates with two other German yards under the supervision of DSNS. “Furthermore in 2021, together with Saab, we are still fully in the race for the ongoing tender for the successors of the Walrus-class submarines.”

It was an exceptional year full of activity and Hein is proud that the technically advanced icebreaker for Australia RSV Nuyina – which, at the time of the interview (December 18), is being tested in Norway – was also completed. “We are carrying out these sea trials in a completely corona proof way, testing the entire crew in advance.” 2020 was also the year in which the Damen Group was split into six relatively autonomous divisions, of which Damen Naval is one. “DSNS and a few other partners within the Naval division are now even more visible as a group specialised in Naval Construction.”

DSNS was shocked by the deaths of Marco de Poorter and Leon Goossens in 2020. “Marco was a highly valued colleague. He was Site Manager in Romania for the ASRV project when he died unexpectedly back in here Zeeland. Leon Goossens had already retired, but we will remember him as the man who made a huge contribution to our company’s export success.”

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