'No project at Bakker Sliedrecht is ever the same'

Working at Bakker Sliedrecht as a Commissioning Engineer: the story of Dick van Beveren

From offshore vessels to world-class mega projects: for Dick van Beveren, engineering is all about challenges, complexity, and seeing results come to life. He has now been back at Bakker Sliedrecht for more than five years in his second period with the company and that is no coincidence.

“I graduated from the former PEE department in 2006 and immediately started at Bakker Sliedrecht as a Service Engineer Drives. In 2014, I moved to Boskalis and later held several positions within the maritime sector. Still, Bakker Sliedrecht kept pulling me back. Since October 2020, I’ve been back, mainly because of the unique projects and the technical challenges.”

Projects that leave an impression

Dick especially finds those challenges in the scale and complexity of the projects. “At Bakker Sliedrecht, you work on installations and systems you simply won’t encounter anywhere else. Particularly in Offshore and Dredging, the scale is enormous. That’s what makes the work so special.”

One of the projects he looks back on with great pride is the FLC project. “That project was extremely challenging because of the combination of its size and complexity. During commissioning, the office team was still working in parallel on the automation systems. That requires a lot of coordination, teamwork, and technical insight.”

Other projects also made a lasting impression, such as the conversion of the Q4000, an offshore well intervention vessel. “We converted the propulsion system from variable pitch to fixed pitch using frequency converters. The turnaround time was incredibly short, and along the way we encountered issues caused by a third party. In situations like that, it’s essential that the team continues to work in a solution-oriented way.”

What Dick enjoys most about his job is the combination of engineering and commissioning. “Contributing to the engineering process and then commissioning the system yourself gives a great sense of satisfaction. You literally see what you created together come to life.”

The international nature of the work also appeals to him. “At a certain point, the travelling itself is no longer the special part. The real challenge lies in working with different nationalities, cultures, and situations. Sometimes you work across different time zones and have to make independent decisions without being able to immediately rely on colleagues back in the Netherlands.”

Advice for new colleagues

Why does Dick believe Bakker Sliedrecht is unique? “Here, you are given a lot of freedom as well as responsibility. There are not many engineers who can say they have commissioned an 8-megawatt drive system or contributed to the world’s largest immersed tunnel project.”

And he has one clear message for new colleagues: “Be prepared for a challenging job filled with complexity and innovation. If you enjoy high-level engineering, this is the right place for you.”