With the growing offshore wind industry in mind, an increasing number of companies are settling down in the Buitenhaven in Vlissingen. Dutch Offshore Contractors (DOC) had already seen the potential of this location in 2013. The company recently took residence of their new offices and started up a spool yard. Mr Dave Hangoor, Managing Director of DOC, and Pieter Oosterhof, General Manager of DOC Logistics, talk with Zeeland PortNews about their plans.
“It is quite a hectic period for us,” Mr Hangoor begins. Just a brief glance out of the window of DOC’s new office explains why. Only a few weeks ago, where now a giant carrousel is winding cables from Prysmian’s cable-laying vessel Cable Explorer, there was empty desert.
The carrousel at DOC's spool yard in Vlissingen is the largest of its kind.
Semi-sub track record
DOC was established in 2012 when it started out as an agent for Cosco Heavy Transport, among others. Mr Hangoor: “Cosco Heavy
Transport was one of our first customers. And now, we take care of everything for them for all operations outside China. Together, we
have built up a good track-record of worldwide semi-sub operations.” This summer, the arrival of Cosco’s heavy lift vessel Xin Guang
Hua, carrying the FPSO Western Isles to the Keppel repair yard in Rotterdam, caught a lot of international attention. And in November,
DOC loaded and seafastened the drilling rig Diamond Ocean Onyx onto the same HLV in the Port of Fourchon in the US. Apart from the heavy-lift projects for Cosco, DOC is also currently taking care of midsize projects for other companies, such as the recent transport of the JB119 for the company Jack-Up Barge.
Offshore wind opportunities
Mr Oosterhof: “From the beginning, we have been able to gain a good part of the semi-sub and transport market for the oil and gas
industry, but we also see a lot of opportunities in the offshore wind sector that we do not want to miss. Being a heavy-lift specialist, it
would be an easy step for us to enter into logistics operations for monopiles and jackets, but, to be honest, in the Netherlands and
especially in Zeeland, this business is already taken care of very well by other companies. The storage and handling of cables, however, is still a relatively virgin part of the offshore wind market, requiring a lot of expertise in heavy lift and transport.” With this in mind, DOC has established the DOC Storage & Spool Yard Vlissingen. In the Buitenhaven, the company has a 20,000m2 open storage facility, with RoRo capabilities, 9.5m LAT deep-water depth and 24/7 direct open water access.
An easy decision
Mr Hangoor: “Back in 2012, we started business in Zwijndrecht, which is very close to the Port of Rotterdam. Although this seems
like an ideal location to do business from, for me the advantages of Zwijndrecht did not exceed the disadvantages.” Being a real Zeeuw (a person from Zeeland) and living in Vlissingen, the daily challenge of dense traffic to and from Zwijndrecht made Mr Hangoor decide to move his business to Vlissingen. “We had already executed many semi-sub and heavy-lift projects in Vlissingen, so I was fully aware of its potential. When we had the chance to lease a plot of land suitable for the handling and storage of cables in the Buitenhaven, the decision to move to Vlissingen was an easy one.”
Dedicated spool yard
“At our dedicated spool yard,” Mr Oosterhof explains, “we are working in close cooperation with our partners Swan Hunter, who have a lot of experience in the handling and storage of cables and umbilicals for the O&G industry. Swan Hunter is also well equipped for this type of work.” Ever since the decision to start the new operation, things have gone very fast. Mr Hangoor: “The first project we were supposed to start with was the Belgian Norther offshore windfarm, but then we were asked to take care of the temporary storage of cables for German projects. Of course, we did not want to miss that chance, so we had to act very fast.” Mr Oosterhof adds: “The carrousel we bought from Africa, the largest of its kind with a diameter of 26m, a height of 10m, and a storage capacity of 7,000t, had to be installed on the terminal within a week, asking a lot from us and our partners.”
Additional capacity
The spool yard will be used for temporary and long-term storage of cables for prospective offshore windfarms. And as each windfarm asks for a specific type of cable, the yard will also store pieces of spare cable for future maintenance and repair. Apart from storage, facilities are also available for the onshore repair of cables and the mobilisation and demobilisation of (cable-laying) vessels. For the latter purpose, DOC has 300m of mooring capacity at a water depth of 10.5m LAT. With the new yard, developments have not come to an end for DOC. Mr Oosterhof: “The current yard is only the first phase of this project. Over here, we have space for a total of three carrousels. A new, smaller carrousel is already under construction and planned to be installed in February, and a third one will arrive in April. As we see many opportunities for growth in this business, we are now investigating the possibility of expanding our facilities in Vlissingen. With this additional capacity, we will be able to extend our services to as many as contractors as possible.”
Space and flexibility
Many contractors are already looking at the services DOC can offer with a lot of interest. “We are capable of offering services
that the bigger terminals in Vlissingen cannot offer at the same level,” Mr Oosterhof states. “Our customers want a terminal with plenty of space, but they also ask for a lot of flexibility. As we are a small organisation, we can act fast in a practical way, always keeping quality and safety in mind as one of our first priorities, of course.” Mr Hangoor adds: “The Buitenhaven is the ideal spot for these kinds of activities. All cables require transport over sea, not only to the offshore wind locations, but also from the cable factories. For the residents living close to the site, our activities are ideal because it is relatively clean work that generates hardly any
noise. So it is perfect for everyone.”
DOC have already executed many semi-sub ad heavy-lift projects in Vlissingen.
Very enthusiastic
He continues: “With our plans, we can add a lot of extra value to the Zeeland economy. Each vessel we take care of in Vlissingen is a business-creator for the retail sector. Apart from this, we believe in working together; making use of each other’s capabilities. To give an example, many local companies and organisations were involved in the installation of the current carrousel. Of course, sometimes we need specialised companies that may not be available in Zeeland, but whenever possible, we prefer to work with regional partners. And it is nice to see that everyone involved is very enthusiastic about this project and willing to put in the extra effort when necessary.”
Worthwhile effort
In January, DOC moved into their new offices in the Buitenhaven. Mr Hangoor had already bought the building in 2013. “When I found out that the building was for sale, I realised how unique the location was where it is situated,” Mr Hangoor says. It took the company a few years to get the paperwork done and to start converting the building into suitable office premises. DOC is now working closely with Zeeland Seaports on developing the terrain next to the office. “The effort was well worthwhile, as we now have an office which is very nice to work in, offering one of the most beautiful views over Vlissingen and the Western Scheldt River,” Mr Hangoor smiles.
