Keel laying is a seafaring tradition and is the formal recognition of the start of a ship’s construction. For good luck, coins are welded into the keel during a special keel laying ceremony.  Recently CEMEX colleagues – Chris Leese, Kurt Cowdrey, Mark Williamson, Ken Hunter and Andrew Fairclough travelled to the Daman Shipyards Mangalia in Romania to take part in the ceremony for our new £30m dredger.

The keel laying ceremony involved three coins, a UK £1, a Dutch GUILDER and a Romanian LEU being welded into the keel of the new dredger. Mark Williams, Fleet Engineering Manager, CEMEX Marine had the honour of performing the welding and had to rapidly remember his long unused welding skills, under the watchful eye of one of the yards many female welders! No pressure then!  Mark commented: “As the Fleet Engineering Manager, to head up a new build is the ultimate project for someone in my position. It is pleasing that CEMEX Marine has the inhouse skills and has been entrusted to deliver such a vessel for the future, in an industry where no new vessels have been built for over two decades. It was also a personal honour to be entrusted with welding the coins at the keel laying ceremony.”

CEMEX Go Innovation will have a radical and innovative design which will bring new standards of environmental performance and cost efficiency, not only to our marine fleet but will set a high standard for the rest of the industry. Daman Shipyards Mangalia, where the dredger is being built, is the biggest in Romania with three dry docks; the largest of which will be used to assemble a number of sections of our new dredger.  Kurt Cowdery, Director CEMEX Marine Aggregates, said: “This is a fantastic investment for the future, allowing us to safely source the materials that we need and enabling us to develop and grow in the UK & Europe.” CEMEX Go Innovation will on the seas in late 2019.

Photo info of the group shot from left to right:  Andrew, Ken, Chris, Mark, and Kurt.