Globally connected
“In the end, we all look alike”
The Offshore Cables Analysis Engineering team for instance. This team of 7 identifies all factors that have an impact on the installation of submarine cables. They’ve come to work for JDN from all over the world.
Bart Ledoux from Belgium
Team lead Installation Analysis Engineering Bart Ledoux explains what he and his team are doing every day: "Minimum bending radius, maximum stress and maximum pressure. When installing submarine cables, we have to take a lot of restrictions into account. What’s more, the cable-laying vessel itself is also subject to the waves. Our job is to analyse the impact on both vessel and cables so that we don’t incur damage anywhere or compromise the cable limits.”
The movements of a vessel depend on a number of variables: the height, period and orientation of the waves, how the ship is loaded, the water depth. "By entering all these variables in specific software, the Analysis Engineer maps out the forces acting on the ship, the cables and the offshore platforms so that, in the end, we have a clear understanding of what our materials and equipment can handle", says Bart.
"This model is easy to adapt to situations with changing values, such as weather conditions, the seabed or adapted equipment. Based on our input, the project team determines a method to install cables, an essential part of our offshore operations!”
Javier Riverola from Spain
“My family lives in Madrid and Barcelona, but I love Belgium! The cultural diversity and the broad view of the world appeal to me very much. The weather here is not as good as in Spain, but you always make the best of it. Cosy markets, music festivals, outdoor activities... There’s is always something to celebrate, I love it! However, the worldwide pandemic makes this impossible for now.”
Victor Yutaka Kondo from Brasil
“Jan De Nul made sure that I could come to Belgium with my wife. Family is very important to the company and we appreciate that enormously. They’ve supported us in everything: from visa and flight to place of residence. The Belgian lifestyle is very different from the Brazilian way of life. Quality of life is more important here, I like that.”
Bepo Schira from Croatia
“I am currently working in Taiwan for the Formosa 2 Offshore Wind Farm. Before that, I spent 4 months in Belgium. I made new friends, visited some beautiful cities and tasted local delicacies and beers. Our cultures show more similarities than you might think, we share a lot of expressions, for example. In the end, we all look alike.”
Our cultures show more similarities than you might think, we share a lot of expressions, for example. In the end, we all look alike.
Bepo Schira
Gormus Dogukan from Turkye
“In September 2014, I came to Belgium for the first time to obtain my Double Degree Master at the University of Liège. The international character appealed to me so much that I later decided to return. Belgium is a real hub in Europe, both professionally and personally. I also notice this at Jan De Nul. Some days, I come into contact with as many as eight different languages. It takes some time but eventually you get used to it.”
Maria Avgerinou from Greece
“I moved to Belgium because I wanted to build a career in the offshore sector at Jan De Nul. I live in an apartment in Brussels, together with a British flatmate. The city breathes internationality: here I can meet people from all over the world. Life in Belgium seems very nice, but the pandemic has put all social life to a standstill. I would love to experience it under normal conditions as well.”
Thet Thin Zar Lwin from Myanmar
“My friend and I like living in Aalst very much. People are so friendly! The cultural differences with my homeland are considerable, but I have been living abroad for four years now. So I easily adapt.”