Subsea works, underwater UXO clearance and hyperbaric operations.
SEMTEC, the subsea subsidiary of DEMINETEC Group, brings underwater inspection, marine UXO clearance and hyperbaric works expertise to the port and industrial community of Bruges (Belgium). Our Class II commercial divers — certified under French Decree 2011-45 (hyperbaric class B) and trained to NEDEX/EOD standards — operate on harbours, marine structures, ships' hulls and coastal areas contaminated by 20th-century conflicts.
Bruges (Brugge) and its outport Zeebrugge sit on one of the most pyrotechnically contaminated coastlines in Europe. Throughout World War I, the German Marinekorps Flandern turned Bruges into a major U-boat and destroyer base, triggering British coastal raids — most famously the Zeebrugge Raid of 23 April 1918 — and intense Royal Navy artillery bombardment of the harbour and inland canals.
The North Sea and Flemish coast remain dotted with WWI and WWII naval mines, depth charges and aerial bombs. The Belgian Navy DOVO/SEDEE units recover hundreds of munitions every year from the seabed off Zeebrugge, while the inland West Flanders battlefields (Ypres salient, Diksmuide) continue to yield the so-called 'iron harvest' of WWI shells.
Bruges itself was liberated on 12 September 1944 by the Canadian 4th Armoured Division during the Scheldt campaign. Port expansion projects, offshore wind-farm cabling and dredging operations in the Belgian Exclusive Economic Zone routinely require underwater UXO surveys and risk-management studies.
In-water survey by qualified divers, ultrasonic thickness through paint, 3D photogrammetry, IACS-class survey report for calls at Bruges.
Magnetometer and gradiometer survey, target identification, controlled neutralisation or recovery in coordination with local authorities.
Wet welding, oxy-arc cutting, underwater concreting, sheet-pile and quay repair.
Refloating of sunken vessels, recovery of submerged plant, crane-assisted lifting operations.
On-site recompression chamber deployment, compliant with French Decree 2011-45 and IMCA D guidance.
In the strategic port of Bruges, SEMTEC mobilises divers, observation ROVs and marine magnetometers to secure basins, jetties, approach channels and anchorages where 20th-century munitions still routinely lie on the seabed.
SEMTEC operates in Bruges and across Belgium from our French bases at La Seyne-sur-Mer (Var) and Wancourt (Pas-de-Calais), our Belgian office in Bruges and our Ukrainian site in Kyiv. Diving spread and naval logistics are mobilised on demand.
Depending on Belgium's history, port seabeds typically conceal sea mines (German EMC, British Mark XVII), submerged aerial bombs (250 kg–500 kg), torpedoes, large-calibre naval shells and depth charges. The preliminary EHT pinpoints the expected typology for Bruges.
Our Class II hyperbaric-class-B divers work to 50 m on air, and we coordinate longer-duration tasks down to 90 m through saturation partners. Observation ROVs extend reconnaissance to 300 m.
A standard UWILD/IWS on a commercial vessel takes 8–24 dive hours depending on hull length, complexity, coating condition and class requirements. SEMTEC issues the class report within 5 days.
Decree 2011-45 governs hyperbaric work in France. Internationally, SEMTEC uses it as a benchmark alongside IMCA D standards and the local regulations applicable in Belgium.
The Port of Zeebrugge, also referred to as the Port of Bruges or Bruges Seaport, is located in Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium, on the North Sea. It is managed by MBZ, the Maatschappij van de Brugse Zeehaven, an autonomous company regulated by public law, with the city of Bruges as its main shareholder. The port handles over 50 million tonnes of cargo annually, employs directly over 11,000 people, creates over 28,000 jobs including indirect employment, and handles over 10,000 ship moorings annually. Its activities include unit loads, new cars, conventional general cargo, high and heavy cargoes, dry and liquid bulk cargoes, natural gas, passenger transport, perishables and agricultural products.
The port complex includes the Outer port, Inner port Zeebrugge, Transportzone Zeebrugge and Inner port Bruges. Listed facilities include deepsea container terminals operated by Zeebrugge International Port, Container Handling Zeebrugge and APM Terminals Zeebrugge; RoRo terminals operated by P&O Ferries, DFDS Seaways, C.RO and ICO; and the Fluxys LNG Terminal. Other facilities include the Northern Inlet dock, Emile Cousin dock, the Zeepipe gas pipeline terminal, the Interconnector terminal, the Toyota dedicated autoterminal, and terminals for general cargo, fruit, sand, gravel, coal, timber, fish and recycling. The port has deep-water draught in its approaches and at its berths and provides access for ships of more than 19,000 TEU.
Bruges-Zeebrugge is situated on the coast of the North Sea, described as the busiest sea in the world, and has intense RoRo traffic. The port has deep-water draught in its approaches and at its berths, with container access for ships of more than 19,000 TEU. It handles over 10,000 ship moorings annually. LNG is transported through the 814-kilometre Zeepipe beneath the North Sea and through specialized gas tankers. In 1918, the Zeebrugge Raid attempted to block the canal entrance by intentionally sinking ships, preventing German ships and submarines from using the port.
The port handles unit loads, trailers, containers, new cars, conventional general cargo, high and heavy cargoes, dry and liquid bulk cargoes, natural gas, perishables and agricultural products. It also supports passenger transport, intense RoRo traffic, automotive distribution and European distribution through hinterland connections.
Zeebrugge has Europe’s largest terminal for liquefied natural gas. Natural gas arrives from the Troll gas field through the 814-kilometre Zeepipe beneath the North Sea, while LNG is also delivered by specialized gas tankers. The port also includes the Interconnector terminal for the gas pipeline from Bacton in the United Kingdom.
Reference : Wikipédia — Port of Zeebrugge
For any survey, inspection or subsea intervention in Bruges, contact our teams:
Tel: +33 (0)9 52 51 00 63
Email: contact@semtec-france.com
Read also: underwater UXO clearance · commercial diving services · offshore subsea works.