Den Helder, the new combat support ship, officially arrived at its home port, marking a key milestone in its integration into the Royal Netherlands Navy. Steel from Metinvest Group's Azovstal Iron and Steel Works was used in the construction of the vessel.
The customer received the steel produced in Mariupol in 2020-2021 before the full-scale invasion. Moreover, the Den Helder's structure incorporates products from the Italian plant Metinvest Trametal.
Den Helder is nearly 180 metres long. and is designed to accommodate a core crew of 76, with additional capacity for 80 personnel. Among its capabilities is the ability to support up to six ships simultaneously, carry over eight million litres of fuel, along with significant volumes of provisions, water, ammunition, and other essential supplies.
FIGURE
The construction of Den Helder required 5,000 tonnes of Metinvest steel: 4,760 tonnes from Azovstal and 240 tonnes from Metinvest Trametal.
Metinvest cooperated with Damen Galati (Romania) within the project framework. This is one of the largest shipyards with state-of-the-art technologies in Eastern Europe and part of the international Damen Shipyards Group, headquartered in the Netherlands. Majority of its products are produced to export, particularly for naval forces of different countries.
Construction of the ship began in December 2020. After the keel was laid in June 2021, the hull was modularly assembled and launched in April 2022, with the main works completed by May 2022. In four years since the start of the project, the ship arrived in Vlissingen, the Netherlands, for final outfitting.
The ship officially joined the fleet on October 1, 2025, under the name HNLMS Den Helder. Full deployment is planned for mid-2026.
Natalia KRYVOSHEI, Head of External Procurement Department at Metinvest-SMC, stated:
"We had already been actively working with the shipbuilding industry in southeastern Europe when we made our first delivery to Damen Galati ten years ago. In 2021, we secured a major share in this shipbuilder’s portfolio. Regarding the construction of Den Helder, what really matters is the use of steel from Metinvest Group's Azovstal. This is not just metal – it is the symbol of Ukrainian people resilience and a contribution to strengthening the defence capabilities of our partners. This is one of the last projects to use Azovstal steel, and news like this is particularly important to us – a reminder of the value of our team’s work and a tribute to Mariupol and our plant, which was destroyed during the full-scale war.
For reference, Hetman Ivan Mazepa corvette is also made of Mariupol steel for the Ukrainian Naval Forces. Steel products from Azovstal and Ilyich Iron and Steel Works were supplied for its construction. At the end of the last year, the vessel started sea trials.
