Royal IHC and Breman Machinery have signed an agreement to cooperate on building complex and steel structures with high tolerances and high precision as part of the tender to replace the Royal Netherlands Navy’s Walrus-class submarines.
IHC is competing in the tender as a partner of the highly experienced Naval Group. If the group goes a stage further in the process – which will be announced in a socalled ‘B-letter’ – it will be able to draw on Breman’s extensive expertise and experience.
IHC and Breman have been working together for decades on various shipbuilding projects, as well as the construction of large steel structures for pipelaying systems, and installation tools for offshore wind turbines. Characteristically, these projects demand a high degree of complexity and precision, which is Breman’s specialty. Alongside its expertise and domain knowledge, Breman has a large-scale, cutting-edge machine park, which is required to construct the new generation submarines.
Dave Vander Heyde, CEO of Royal IHC, says: “Through this agreement, we are delighted that we can reinforce and intensify our collaboration. Both IHC and Breman stand for craftsmanship, high quality and know-how. It would be tremendous if we could use our combined forces to develop and construct the new submarines: for The Netherlands, by The Netherlands, and in The Netherlands.”
Henk Breman, CEO of Breman Machinery, adds: “We are confident of being a strong partner in this challenging project. During a company visit to the Naval Group, it was clear that the high quality on offer aligned perfectly with what we can deliver. With regard to the construction, welding and machining process, Breman will be able to establish strong partnerships. Together with IHC, we can make a strong contribution to the development of the manufacturing industry as a future partner of the Dutch defence.”