DGA places order for 29 pusher tugs

14 February 2017

Merré shipyard was among the competitors of the international tender launched at the end of 2015 by the DGA, concerning the design and construction of 29 pusher-tugs for the French Navy.

If Merré and CMN shipyards formed a group to win this market, it is Merré shipyard that got the leadership, since the Merré shipyard will manage the design and construction.

Therefore the Merré Design Office is responsible for the design of these 29 pusher-tugs.

The BMA Group, led by Moun Bourjij, President, and François Martin, Managing Director, of which the Merré shipyard is part of it, has put all its strengths into the proposed offer, mainly the strong experience of Merré in the Design and Construction of multiservice vessels and tugs, the professionalism of its teams and the industrial capacity of its Nort-sur-Erdre (Merré) and Brest (CIB) sites.

Moreover, in recent years, the shipyard has been particularly well known for his expertise in the development of his international activities, especially in the field of habour vessels.

Thus, the tugs construction is planned on the three sites of Nort-sur-Erdre, Brest and Cherbourg.

With a 12 meters length, she will have a 10 tons bollard pull capacity. They will be specifically designed to maneuver the latest generations of French Navy ships.

The hull will be made of steel and their superstructures in aluminum. Merré, CIB and CMN master the ship construction with these different materials.

This success of the Merré shipyard is in fact the conjunction of several elements:

• Three generations of the Merré family who founded this site in Nort-sur-Erdre in 1921 and have developed a real know-how in shipbuilding and bring to this site a name and a reputation.
• Two new executives who, for 5 years, have deployed the shipyard for export, winning numerous contracts representing more than 30 ships, thus reinforcing the credibility of the shipyard in international competitions,
• And above all, the team performance of competent professionals composed of boilermakers, welders, pipefitters, hydraulic engineers, technicians, engineers and architects, all from Nort-sur-Erdre or elsewhere, and passionate about their company and work. Without them, the company would not be there !