Dutch Navy picks Royal IHC for HNLMS Groningen repair work

Royal IHC and the Department of Material Maintenance (DMI) of the Royal Netherlands Navy signed a contract for the docking and repair of the Holland-class offshore patrol vessel HNLMS Groningen (P843).

The agreement was signed at a naval yard in Den Helder on 9 March 2021.

HNLMS Groningen is currently back in the Netherlands due to issues with the propeller shaft on the starboard side.

In late December 2020, the ship had to return from its deployment in the Caribbean. The NH90 military helicopter on board the Groningen was also taken back to Den Helder. The Royal Netherlands Navy said it had no replacement ship for the Caribbean operations and the Caribbean Coast Guard took over the tasks. This is because the Royal Netherlands Navy logistic support vessel HNLMS Pelikaan, which is permanently based at Curaçao, is not suitable for patrol work, the navy explained.

As informed, Royal IHC will coordinate and carry out the inspection of the shaft, and to this end, the ship will be docked at the Reimerswaal shipyard in Vlissingen.

Specifically, the project will be carried out in two phases. Firstly, the propeller shaft will be removed and its associated components disassembled so that an inspection can take place. The patrol vessel will then return to Den Helder. After the propeller shaft has been repaired, the HNLMS Groningen will dock again in Vlissingen where Royal IHC will reinstall it.

HNLMS Groningen is one of the Royal Netherlands Navy’s four Holland-class diesel-electric offshore patrol vessels. It was built by Dutch shipbuilder Damen Group at the company’s subsidiary, Damen Shipyards Galati, and commissioned in 2011.

The 3,750-tonne units are flexibly deployable ships for the surveillance of coastal waters. In addition to anti-terrorism and anti-piracy operations, these so-called ocean-going patrol vessels (OPV) are also used for counter-narcotics operations.