Damen Shipyards and Afai Southern Shipyard contracted to build 35 m ferry for Liuzhou Yinliu Hotel Management

Liuzhou Yinliu Hotel Management Co. Ltd. (China) has ordered a Damen Ferry 3508 with Afai Southern Shipyard (China). The DFe 3508 is a 35m Aluminium Luxury Sightseeing Ferry and is designated for the municipal government of Guangxi Liuzhou. As Liuzhou is the main business port of the Guangxi Zhuang region, the city will use the ferry for receiving both government and industry representatives for official meetings and sightseeing tours along the Liujiang River. Delivery is scheduled in the first quarter of 2013.

The DFe 3508, the first one of its kind, is specifically designed for this client and this application. It has a passenger capacity of 100 persons. The ferry is outfitted with a conference room, a VIP-room and spacious passenger rooms with extensive catering facilities.

Damen Shipyards China

According to Henk Grunstra, Product Director Fast Ferries at Damen’s HQ in Gorinchem (The Netherlands), the current newbuild is a good example of high quality euro-asian cooperation. “We are complementary to a high degree with our partners in China. From an early stage, Damen has been monitoring the development of Chinese shipyards and slowly we’ve started to cooperate with some of the best of them. In addition Damen was the first European shipbuilder with its own shipyard in China. Over the years Afai Southern’s production capacity and capability has grown. They match with Damen’s vessel designs and our approach to shipbuilding.”

Afai Southern – Damen cooperation

The aluminum ferry has been designed by Damen Shipyards and will be built by Afai Southern. The two shipyards work in close cooperation since 2001 to build aluminium vessels. Amongst other ships, this has led to the two biggest aluminium vessels built in China, i.e. two 85m RoPax ferries delivered to Turkish ferry operator IDO.

Damen exports ferries to clients all over the world, e.g. in Singapore, Dubai and Turkey. Afai Southern and Damen Shipyards closely cooperate as to business and production standards. Afai Southern continuously invests in business management, production technology and the training of its personnel in order to deliver high quality vessels that meet the requirements of the world’s classification bureaus.

Damen Shipyards Group

Damen Shipyards Group (est. 1927) is a globally operating company with 37 owned shipyards and numerous partner yards. Damen employs over 6,000 people, has built over 5,000 vessels worldwide and delivers up to 150 vessels annually. Based on its unique, standardised ship-design concept and short delivery times, Damen is able to guarantee constant quality.

Damen’s focus on standardisation and modular construction approach lead to short delivery times (Damen keeps vessels in stock), low ‘total cost of ownership’, high resale value, proven technology and reliable performance. Damen offers a wide range of products, including: tugs, workboats, patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, offshore support vessels, oil-spill response vessels and even frigates and mega yachts. In addition to shipbuilding, Damen offers efficient customer support, customer financing and complete lifecycle service.

Afai Southern Shipyard Ltd

Afai Southern Shipyard (est. 1992) is located at the western side of the Panyu Bridge (South China Expressway) at Guangzhou, China and at the south bank of the Pearl River main channel. Afai Southern is the largest-scale manufacturer of jumbo-sized aluminium-alloy ships at present in China and Southeast Asia. The shipyard introduced a production technology of high-tech wave piercing catamaran ferries and can manufacture high speed aluminium vessels and provide services for customers worldwide with her innovative technical management and construction techniques.