­Next Generation Shipyards continues to grow

As co-director of another shipyard, Albert already had a lot of experience in shipbuilding. Nevertheless, he decided to start another company with his wife and son. Two daughters are also now working for the company.

Thanks to an extensive network, the yard soon acquired its first order from Zeeland Seaports. They were looking for a new survey ship and through their network they were put on the trail of Next Generation Shipyards. The Dutch Pilotage initially came to the yard only for maintenance on their ships, but that work eventually resulted in an order for the construction and delivery of new pilot vessels as well. Lauwersoog proved to be a very good location. The shipyard is now the largest company in the harbor and usually employs about 60 personnel. The shipyard is located right by the sea, making it very interesting for different countries. For example, orders came from England, Norway and Denmark. They now do a lot of maintenance on ships involved in the wind farms north of the Netherlands. In particular, the yard builds specialized and sustainable working vessels that have an innovative character. Each ship is built according to the customer's specific requirements.

Innovation

Albert Keizer: “We like to be at the forefront when it comes to innovative developments with regard to fuel. For example, we have adapted the ship, the Ecolution, so that it can now run entirely on hydrogen. Thanks to the knowledge we have gained in this way, we are ahead of the market and also managed to win the Port of Amsterdam's tender for the Neo Orbis. With this ship, the Port of Amsterdam wants to take a first step towards emission-free shipping. The fuel that will be used for this ship is powdered hydrogen. Rijkswaterstaat is also planning to place an order for the conversion of a research vessel so that it becomes completely fossil-free.”

NG Shipyards has designed its own innovative boat for the wind farm industry that can withstand higher waves, making it more and longer usable in bad weather. Moreover, it can carry more people at the same time. Furthermore, this vessel consumes 20% less fuel than those used regularly. For the wind farm industry, these aspects are very important, as they always work with tight deadlines and it is of utmost importance to deliver on time. Three vessels have now been delivered and more are expected to be ordered.

Unfortunately, for the time being it is not yet possible for all ships to be fossil-free, but the ships delivered by NG Shipyards typically consume about 35% less gasoline than regular ships.

For two recent orders, the yard was asked to provide guarantees. The house bank then referred them to Atradius DSB, where they took out a so-called counter-guarantee. As a result, the financial lines at the bank were not encumbered.

Milford Haven Port Authorithy & Cassen-Tours Cassen Eils & Frisia Touristik

Through a tender, NG Shipyards won the contract to build a pilot boat for Milford Haven's large energy port. For this tender, the emphasis was on the technical aspects offered. The weighting factor for achievement was greater than the price factor. The fact that the yard had a lot of experience in building such specific vessels for Dutch Pilotage, was the deciding factor for Milford Haven Port Authority and NG Shipyards won the tender.

Cassen-Tours Cassen Eils & Frisia Touristik ordered a ship that will sail between the German mainland and the German Wadden Islands. It is a fast sailing ship with a low draft that can carry 56 passengers. For Cassen-Tours Cassen Eils & Frisia Touristik, it was precisely the reliability of the ship and the operational costs that were decisive in their choice of the shipyard.

Ambitions

The yard has 19,000 m2, which now houses six construction halls and a large ship elevator. Part of the site has not yet been built on and there is plenty of room for expansion. There are also options on surrounding land and the intention to expand. The order book is well filled, with satisfied customers wanting to order more boats.