Vertom and DMC: successful collaboration for innovative shipping

Vertom is a leading Rotterdam-based shipping company with a fleet of more than 100 vessels. To meet both international shipping developments and the thriving company’s commercial strategy, Vertom is building an impressive series of Multi-Purpose Dry Cargo vessels of 7,280 DWT each in the Netherlands. All of these are built for Vertom and a Vertom-related company – and the full series will have steering systems from Damen Marine Components.

We speak with Rolf van Leeuwen, Newbuilding Superintendent at Vertom, and Leo van Zon, Area Sales Manager at DMC, about the collaboration between the two companies on this major project.

Why does DMC enjoy working for and with Vertom so much?
Leo: ‘It is a real Rotterdam shipping company and they have the same mentality as DMC: hands-on, no-nonsense and the will to always develop their fleet and make it more sustainable. That appeals enormously to DMC in all aspects – by which I mean both the technology and the people – and that makes Vertom such a valued customer and pleasant partner to work with and for.’

Why did Vertom choose DMC steering gear?
Rolf: ‘We have built many ships in the past with Van der Velden Marine Systems. After the merger with DMC, the quality remained the same and high-level. They design and manufacture simple, reliable and easy to maintain steering systems, which is what counts. Since we already had many on our fleet – nice compact systems – it was logical for us to choose DMC again.’

Service
During installation in the construction process, DMC’s people mainly work with the site personnel and DMC’s Commissioning Engineer occasionally maintains direct contact with Vertom. ‘But when service is needed, it is good,’ says Rolf. ‘Look, in the warranty period after completion of a vessel, there will always be some issues, that’s part of life. DMC then comes on board and you always hear from the crew that they are good and friendly people who take the time to explain everything.’

For Vertom, the DMC systems essentially have four major advantages: ‘Their steering systems are reliable, compact and easy to maintain, which allows us to work with only one engineer per vessel.’

‘Everything we have in terms of knowledge is available to the customer,’ Leo summarises. ‘Take the five-year surveys. Many shipping companies carry these out themselves, with DMC often being flown in for maintenance, under the motto: prevention is better than cure. Preventive maintenance preserves the service life of the steering systems and ensures the deployability of the vessel for the customer. We are proud of that.’

Innovative ship designs
The new series is being built at Thecla Bodewes Shipyards (TBSY), which is also handling the detailed engineering. The 7,280 DWT diesel-electric vessels are the result of a joint design by Vertom and Groot Ship Design, with the yard also participating in improving the design.

Rolf explains, ‘This series is special, also  because of its diesel-electric design and CFD-optimised hull that minimises drag and maximises sailing efficiency. This reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and is fully compliant with the latest IMO regulations. In addition, we have implemented several other energy-saving measures, which also significantly reduce NOx emissions.’

The cooperation in the construction process between TBSY, Vertom and DMC is considered very pleasant by all parties. In addition to the series of Multi-Purpose vessels, Vertom is also building a series of smaller 99m vessels at Chowgule Shipyards in India. Rolf: ‘These are coasters of the same design, but with one hold and 6,000 DWT capacity. These too will be equipped with DMC systems.’

Advanced systems
All vessels are or will be fitted with a complete set of DMC’s in-house designed and built steering systems, i.e.:

1. An optimised wheelhouse system with control panels and electronics developed in-house by DMC.
2. Plug & Play steering systems including Hydraulic Power Pack and Piston RAM-type Steering System (and cabling) for quick and efficient installation. ‘You simply install it in the steering gear room and you’re done,’ says Leo. ‘That saves the yard a lot of time.’
3. A Timon Flap Rudder. A flap rudder, among other things, offers excellent manoeuvrability at low speeds, such as in port, and allows the vessel to moor safely and easily.
4. An Optima Nozzle. This choice was made in consultation with TBSY and Vertom; the combination with the Timon Flap Rudder provides an optimal configuration that benefits lower fuel consumption.

Future prospects
With this series and the additional projects in India, the cooperation between Vertom and DMC continues to grow. ‘It is great to be able to work with such a client again and again,’ says Leo. ‘Their hands-on mentality, and the will to keep innovating – and invest a lot of time in doing so – fits perfectly with DMC’s philosophy. This makes Vertom a particularly fine customer in all respects.’

Several vessels are already in service. On performance, Rolf says: ‘It’s actually a bit boring; everything just works. The systems are compact, which is advantageous for installation and maintenance. Moreover, fuel consumption turns out to be lower than expected, partly thanks to the combination of DMC’s systems. In short, we are very satisfied!’