Powering the Seas: Damen RoPax Ferry
Van Der Leun Suzhou (VDL), an electrical engineering company based in China, partnered with B&R Enclosures (B&R) to design and supply specialised housing for maritime electrical consoles. VDL had been commissioned by shipbuilder Damen to deliver a series of custom console desks for its new RoPax ferry, a vessel carrying hundreds of passengers and vehicles. The consoles needed to be durable, highly customised, and capable of housing complex electrical systems under demanding maritime conditions.
Damen provided only a minimal brief, leaving VDL to find a capable design and manufacturing partner. While VDL excelled in console construction, it lacked experience in producing the enclosures themselves. Having previously worked with B&R on international projects, including the supply of powder-coated SS316L enclosures for another Damen vessel — VDL knew B&R could deliver on both quality and precision. After an unsatisfactory experience with another supplier in 2019, VDL confidently turned to B&R for this new challenge.
The design and engineering process was a close collaboration led by Marko Dimitrijevic, General Manager of B&R’s international business, and Demen Jin, B&R’s National Sales Manager for China. With design support from Vicien Zhao, B&R Suzhou’s Design and Engineering Manager, the teams refined drawings and technical specifications over a two-month period. The first month focused on design development, followed by another month finalising production drawings and the bill of materials before manufacturing began.
The final result was a set of robust, highly customised console enclosures requiring precise, piece-by-piece installation due to their unique right-angle configuration. The project met Damen’s stringent quality standards and reinforced B&R’s reputation for engineering excellence.
Following the RoPax ferry’s success, B&R secured another contract to supply five additional console desks for Van Der Leun Vietnam and is set to deliver up to ten more for a future fleet project.
Martijn Houweling, General Manager of VDL, remarked, “B&R always responds in a timely manner to our needs and delivers high-quality products that secure our customers’ satisfaction and result in repeat business. I would highly recommend B&R for its high-quality products and professionalism.”
This collaboration demonstrates how technical expertise, communication, and trust can turn a complex engineering challenge into a long-term partnership and ongoing international success.
