Damen Shipyards Group, a Dutch shipbuilding giant, has held a keel-laying ceremony for Herman Senior’s new multi-purpose vessel (MPV) at the Albwardy Damen shipyard in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Damen has laid the keel for Herman Senior’s MPV 4916 Smokey, which is described as the first-in-series vessel that is prepared for a sustainable future, featuring the Damen Marine NOX reduction system, a selective catalytic reduction system (SCR) that lowers both noise and emissions in a single, compact unit and allows compliance with IMO Tier III requirements.

This ship is perceived to be prepared for conversion to either full electric or hybrid methanol propulsion in the future. The safety and comfort are also seen as focal points in the design in accordance with Code of Safety for Special Purpose Ships (SPS Code), Maritime Labour Convention(MLC) 2006 and COMF-3 notation to ensure the well-being of up to 34 persons on board.

Speaking on the occasion of the keel-laying, Leon Fijnekam, Commercial Manager at Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld, commented: “We are very proud to continue to support Herman Senior with this latest order for an MPV 4916. Our two companies have been working together for almost 80 years.

“I believe the key to the long-standing success of our relationship is our shared values as family businesses. Both parties have a keen focus on quality and a strong vision for the future. We look forward to many more years of collaboration.”

With Smokey envisioned to perform a wide range of tasks in the offshore energy sectors, the vessel’s versatility is assured by DP2 dynamic positioning capabilities, a four-point mooring system and spud poles, which allow her to keep station in diverse environments and water depths.

The ship will feature a 45-tonne hydraulic A-frame and an active heave compensated winch on the crane, allowing for safe, precise lifting, even in challenging conditions. Herman Senior decided to name the latest addition to its fleet Smokey in keeping with the company tradition of giving vessels names of famous bears.

Tradition was also observed during the ceremony when two coins were welded to the keel. The coins selected were a historic Rijksdaalder from the Netherlands and a UAE Dirham to reflect both the vessel’s Dutch heritage and the construction location.

Erwin van Dodewaard, Managing Director at Herman Senior, underlined: “The keel laying of MPV Smokey marks an important step in the further expansion of our offshore capabilities. With this vessel, which is a first of a kind once again, we are investing in versatility, reliability and long term operational value.

“Our long-standing cooperation with Damen, built on trust, craftsmanship and shared family values, enables us to translate these ambitions into a vessel that is truly fit for the future offshore energy market.”

This comes after Damen secured a deal to build a new multi-purpose accommodation support vessel (MP-ASV) for Windcat, a part of CMB.TECH, following a contract to construct two next-generation offshore support tugs (OSTs) for work in the Gulf of Mexico.