261 July 27, 2004

Damen Singapore Delivers Catamaran Fleet to Portugal

Well known for their efficient production to standardized designs in the tug boat industry, Netherlands-based Damen has, since June 2000, operated an equally prolific yard In Singapore turning out aluminum catamarans. ( www.damen.com.sg ) A recent delivery of nine 49x12-metre low-wash vessels to Soflusa in Portugal is representative of the nature of the international market for these sophisticated craft.

Not only are fast cats built to class, as passenger vessels the classification societies apply their highest standards. The Cummins Engine Company’s Singaporean subsidiary responded by supplying marine auxiliary gensets. For the Portuguese catamarans, Cummins Engine (Singapore) delivered a total of 18 Cummins 6CTA8.3 140 Kw generator sets classed DNV-EO. The EO denotes that they meet the requirements for unattended engine spaces on fast ferries. Cummins Singapore General Manager Donald Ho explains that. "EO requires that a gen set must work even in a dead ship situation," adding that, "These sets employ an electronic Zenar diode circuit to allow equal access of the electronic governor operation from either the engine DC battery bank or the shipboard main battery bank. In this way, the need to ‘switch’ from one power source to another is avoided and the genset will continue to run, even in a dead-ship situation. In a conventional system, this switch between power sources causes the power supply to be cut. When this happens, even for an instant, the genset will stop and it will fail the class rules.

"The classification requires a range of such operational as well as physical modifications. Among the physical are double walled fuel lines. Ho goes on to explain that such broad classification is natural in Singapore as the city state has virtually no home trade so that all vessels are built for export and hence demand classification. Other recent gen set sales include five KTA38-powered 940 Kw sets to power ventilation on a retro-fitted livestock hauler. Also a pair of dredges took 15 KTA50-powered 1160 Kw sets to drive their electric pumping systems.

In late June Damen loaded the last two catamarans onboard a heavy lift ship for their delivery voyage to Portugal.

For more information on Damen catamarans contact:

Mr. Henk O. van Herwijnen
Product Director, Damen Fast Ferries
Damen Shipyard
sP.O. Box 1 – 4200 AA Gorinchem – The Netherlands
Telephone: + 31 183 63 99 11
Fax: + 31 183 63 21 89
E-mail: info@damen.nl
Web: www.damen.nl

For more on the Cummins Singapore Marine Auxiliaries contact:

Ho Wye Ming (Donald)
Cummins Engine (Singapore) Pte Ltd.
8 Tanjong Penjuru Singapore 609019
Phone +65 6261 3555
Fax: +65 6261 2405
Mobile: +65 9685 8061
E-mail: Donald.ho@Cummins.com
Web: www.cspl.Cummins.com

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