Revitalizing the HNLSM Snellius: Damen Shipyards Den Helder Unveils Major Upgrades and Overhaul

Damen Shipyards Den Helder has restored the HNLMS Snellius to the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) after her substantial midlife enhancement. This hydrographic survey ship required a multifaceted and intricate range of tasks that took nearly a year to finalize. The vessel was delivered ahead of the scheduled timeline.

The Defensie Materieel Organisation (DMO, the Defense Materiel Organisation of the Dutch Ministry of Defence) along with the Directie Materiële Instandhouding (DMI – the Directorate for Materiel Preservation) oversaw this extensive maintenance operation on the vessel. They engaged the shipyard in Den Helder to execute both the mid-life renewal and the essential multi-year maintenance simultaneously. A portion of the project was executed within the covered dock at Damen Shiprepair in Harlingen.

This mission was performed in close partnership with numerous collaborators from the Dutch maritime sector, including Nevesbu, Wartsila, Braspenning, Eekels, RH Marine, Bakker Sliedrecht, and Kongsberg. Many of the platforms and Sewaco systems were either substituted or refurbished throughout the project. Several modifications were also made to ready the fifteen-year-old vessel for the latter part of her operational lifecycle.

After the work’s completion, the vessel underwent an extensive testing phase and is now poised to once again conduct hydrographic operations for the RNLN. Previously, her sister ship, HNLMS Luymes, underwent a nearly identical maintenance and modernization regimen at the shipyard and is successfully operational again.

HNLMS Luymes (A803) and HNLMS Snellius (A802), which were launched in 2003 and early 2004, signify the onset of a new era for the Dutch Hydrographic Service. These two hydrographic survey vessels, outfitted with the latest advancements in hydrography, hold the crucial responsibility of charting the seabed. Their primary areas of operation include the North Sea and certain regions of the Caribbean. Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS) constructed the vessels, with substantial contributions from the Dutch maritime industry. Over 80% of the procurement budget was allocated to Dutch maritime vendors, incorporating a variety of small and medium-sized enterprises.

The handover of HNLMS Snellius, HNLMS Pelikaan, and HNLMS Luymes culminates the successful execution of a series of extensive mid-life enhancement projects.