official kickoff coastguard buildings

Two new buildings for the Coastguard are set to be built at the naval base in Den Helder. The Chair of the Coastguard Council, Jan Hendrik Dronkers, ceremoniously inaugurated the construction by driving a foundation pile into the ground. “This new Maritime Operations Centre will be a crucial asset for safety at sea and along our coastline.”

north sea security
Jan Hendrik Dronkers highlighted the importance of the new Coastguard facilities, stating, “The North Sea is one of the busiest seas in the world, and it is becoming increasingly crowded—not only due to increased shipping traffic but also with new wind farms, fishing activities, and undersea cabling. The North Sea offers a great deal, so international interests are high. And whether we like it or not, ensuring our safety requires ever-greater effort. Not every vessel has the best intentions, and the Coastguard will need new buildings and advanced ICT systems to address these challenges.”

coastguard support
Admiral René Tas, Commander of the Naval Forces, emphasised the cooperation with the Navy: “I am here today in my role as Coastguard administrator. As the Navy, we are responsible for supporting the Coastguard in carrying out its duties. This may sound quite businesslike, but that’s far from the case. The Coastguard is an essential safety partner for the Navy on a daily basis, and I am pleased that the new facilities will be situated here at the naval base.” On behalf of the National Property Agency, General Max Droste named and thanked all parties involved in the construction project.

outstanding facilities
Nicole Kuipers, Director of the Netherlands Coastguard, mentioned that staff are looking forward to the new buildings. “We are getting two modern facilities where we’ll work together to perform our duties. These buildings are designed specifically for Coastguard operations and look fantastic. A workplace we’ll all be happy to come to!”

diverse guests
Those in attendance included Coastguard colleagues, executives, clients, and project members. As Nicole Kuipers noted, “The range of guests from various organisations shows just how many parties are involved with the Coastguard and our new facilities. I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this project—your cooperation makes this possible, and I am proud of that!”
two buildings
The Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) will serve as the main building, with the operations room and Maritime Information Hub (MIK-NL) as its focal points. The MIK-NL will host several law enforcement agencies who will share information with one another. The Emergency, Training, and Testing Location (UTT) will be used as an alternate location for emergency situations, maintenance, training, and ICT development.
new facilities and ict
The construction is part of the Coastguard MOC project, led by project manager Remko Kamp. In addition to the new buildings, this project will also replace the Coastguard’s ICT systems. The Joint Information Services Command (JIVC), the IT division of the Ministry of Defence, is responsible for this upgrade.


Read more about the project here