part1

For completed vessels, the total so far is €40Om, with exports representing €240m. The order intake was €840m and exports represented €S30m Total intake was € l.7bn

In the smaller vessel sector, which included vessels under 100 gt and inland vessels, the total order book represents €1.9bn with exports ac­counting for €1.7bn. Completed orders were €480m with exports, the biggest slice, at €420m. Order intake was €630m for the first half with €S80m exports.

"Until now, 2006 has been an excellent year," says Ruud Schouten VNSI managing director, "And the information we have from the repair yards is that it is looking like another good year."

Business is booming in all sectors. Only fishing is lagging behind because of European Union policy, says Mr Schouten. A few years ago it was a completely different picture, he admits, with no one seeing how the industry would take off.

Dutch yards are all filled up until 2008 and part of 2009.
"We do not expect problems but you never know what the market will do," says Mr Schouten.

part2

But a really bad year looks impossible judging from all of the market sec­tors that appear to be doing well. Of course it is not just the Netherlands that is experiencing the good times. And with the good times comes the problem of attracting people into the industry. Although Dutch yards are managing with their present levels of employment they do need new recruits.

VNSI is carrying out studies with several yards to look at future employment needs and ways of attracting young people into shipbuilding. Industry efforts have already started to payoff, says Mr Schouten.

VNSI works very closely with the leading maritime-focused universities in Delft and Rotterdam to promote shipbuilding and to expand the number of educational places.In Rotterdam normally there would be around 17­18 students, but now there are SO. And there are initiatives with the VNSI co-operating with suppliers and yards on the engineering side. There has also been welcome news from the government.

part3

After three years of lobbying, the country's shipbuilders are expecting good news in the September budget. The ministry of economic affairs will put forward a subsidy proposal specifically for innovation in the sector. This would then be introduced in January. ' Mr. Schouten says there are still big challenges and there will be a fur­ther focus on improving profitability of the yards. But certainly this pre­viously undervalued in­dustry does seem to have raised its profile politically and there are signs that the elusive "level playing field" may be closer. Innovation is often the driving force in many Dutch shipyards and Conoship's name is often me linked to the latest developments. This time t is to what is believed to the world's fastest coaster below 3,000 gt.

Recently Conoship International, which provides design, marketing and sales activities exclusively for 10 member shipyards in the north of the Netherlands, worked with Dutch shipowner Hartman Seatrade to develop a new breed of small, heavylift cargo vessel which also has a high service speed.

part4

In October the new Deo Volente is set to take to the waves. Hartman originally asked Conoship to come up with a design at the end of 2004. The new vessel must include a speed of 18 knots, two cranes of 120 tonnes each, should be less than 3,000 gt and have a maxi­mum propulsion power of 3,000 kW.

After several design options a vessel with a length of 105 m, beam of 15.6 m and depth of 7.4 m was created. The design plan, the speed and power predictions and model tank tests were carried out at Marin's facilities in Wageningen.

Conoship says that compared with a ship of the same tonnage on the same route, total fuel consumption will be less due ,to a high speed in combination with a relatively low power input.

part5

The long cargo hold with a length of 61.6 m gives the vessel the facili­ty to handle long pieces of project cargo. Hartman Marine in Urk, affiliated to Hartman Seatrade, is building the Deo Volente and actually this is the fifth vessel to bear the name.

CIG-Groupin Groningen has been contracted for delivery of the vessel's slim-lined hull which will be built at its yard in Poland. The new Deo Volente is more specialised for project cargo, having the ability to perform the loading and unloading itself.

Another well-known northern Netherlands company, Wagenborg Shipping of Delfzijl, will be the operator of the small heavy lifter. The previous Deo Volente, owned by Hartman Seatrade was sold to Coral Shipping.