Court denies Dutch shipping company’s multi-million claim

The Eastern High Court of Denmark ruled on Friday that the crew of the crane vessel ‘Sleipnir’ should have obtained Danish work permits for briefly working at sea on Denmark’s continental shelf in 2020 and 2022. The court acquitted the Danish state from the claims made by Heerema Marine Contractors, the Dutch employer of the seafarers. The company not only sought confirmation of their right to work on Danish maritime territory and continental shelf without authorization from immigration authorities but also demanded compensation totaling 22 million Danish kroner. Following the loss, the Dutch company must now decide whether to appeal to the Supreme Court. This case was treated as a matter of principle, allowing direct appeal to the Supreme Court without special permission. The ‘Sleipnir’ is the world’s largest semi-submersible crane vessel, registered in Panama, and has been involved in rebuilding the Tyra gas field in the North Sea since 2020 after seabed subsidence.