On 6 November, the 2023 edition of the Maritime Awards Gala took place in Rotterdam. Five winners each received their awards during the gala, with feasibility, innovation, sustainability, (maritime) safety and social contribution being the main criteria. Among the winners are GustoMSC and Canopée.
The Maritime Awards Gala is the annual event where innovative top achievements from the Dutch maritime sector are presented. The five awards are Maritime Ship of the Year Award, Maritime Talent Award, Maritime Achievement Award, Maritime Innovation Award and the Maritime Security award.
Maritime Innovation Award
Winner: GustoMSC with the world’s largest innovative telescopic offshore heavy lift crane. The crane is part of the GustoMSC™ SC-14000XL jack-up design, a large wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) Blue Wind for Japan’s Shimizu Corp. The Maritime Innovation Award is presented to the most appealing maritime product, service or business process innovation of the past year. According to the jury, GustoMSC “is going to play a very important role with this modular, telescopic offshore crane.”
Winner film
Maritime Ship of the Year Award
Winner: ‘Canopée’. The Canopée is a dual-powered Open Top RoRo vessel with wind-assisted ship propulsion, built by Neptune Shipyards. The Ship of the Year award is based on the extent to which design, technology, safety, construction and economic significance come together in one innovative vessel. The jury praised Neptune Shipyards of Hardinxveld-Giessendam especially for the way in which the shipyard managed to bring in line the many, often contradictory requirements.
The Canopée was specially designed for the transport of Ariane missiles. The ship will load sixth-generation Ariane 6 missiles in parts in Bremen, Rotterdam, Le Havre and Bordeaux and take them to the Kourou launch base in French Guiana. The RoRo (Roll-on Roll-off) ship is equipped with four 30-meter-high sail panels: ‘Oceanwings’ each with an area of 375 square meters. This system provides savings of some 35% in fuel consumption. Neptune Shipyards designed and built the vessel for the Ariane Group and will be managed by France’s Alizés, a joint venture between Jifmar Offshore Services and Zéphyr & Borée. The contract for construction was awarded to Neptune in October 2020 and the ship has been in service since August.
Winner film
Maritime Talent Award
Winner: Kalea Holkema researched wave damping possibilities to apply in a notch in a floating structure such as the Pioneering Spirit, the largest offshore construction ship in the world. The Maritime Talent Award is given to recent graduates, doctoral students and employees of HBO programs, universities, research institutions and industry. Holkema receives the award in recognition of her high-tech research work, which, according to the jury, is characterized by originality, innovation and practical and commercial feasibility. Winner’s film
The Maritime Achievement Award was handed to Merchant Shipping Database. The purpose of this database is to raise social awareness about Dutch wartime history and especially the role of seafarers on the wartime merchant marine. The Maritime Security Award went to Pim van de Koppel, for his research on the deployment of weapon system PHAROS-DART that defends naval vessels against threats such as anti-ship missiles at very close range. View all 15 nominees here (in Dutch).
Maritime Awards Gala 2023
The event is made possible by main sponsors Praxis Automation Technology BV, Anker Crew Insurance, Damen Shipyards Group, NNPC and Europort 2023. All photos: Source: Maritime Awards Gala
