What Hydrex does

Hydrex is a privately held Belgian company founded in Antwerp in 1974 by Boud Van Rompay that provides permanent, class-approved underwater maintenance and repair services to commercial shipping, offshore energy, naval, and broader maritime industrial clients worldwide. The company solves the costly and time-consuming problem of unscheduled drydocking by performing repairs and maintenance while vessels remain afloat, using a portfolio of proprietary techniques developed and refined over five decades.

The company's technical core is a set of in-house developed capabilities including custom cofferdams that create dry working environments for shell plating repairs (first deployed in 1979 on the m/v Lunar Venture), flexible mobdock enclosures for stern tube seal and thruster work (deployable worldwide within 12 hours), an in-house hydraulic cold straightening machine for damaged propellers (2002), propeller blade cropping equipment (1985), and an award-winning propeller surface treatment that delivers 5-10% fuel savings. The company operates from a 5,000+ m² Antwerp headquarters with three dive tanks, a workshop, and a fast response center, supported by bases in Rotterdam (Netherlands), Fos-sur-Mer (France), and Algeciras (Spain), with a project-execution network spanning more than 50 countries. Two fully equipped workboats stationed in Antwerp and Rotterdam serve as mobile dive support platforms.

The business model is project-based professional services: pricing is quote-driven and varies by repair type, vessel size, location, and complexity; there is no publicly disclosed rate card. Go-to-market combines 24/7 emergency mobilization, active presence at major maritime exhibitions (APM Singapore, OTC Asia, Posidonia, OTC Houston), a steady flow of published case studies and newsletters, and long-term enterprise relationships — multiple customers cite 20-year-plus relationships. Primary customer segments are commercial shipping (tankers, container ships, bulk carriers, roro) and offshore energy, with secondary segments in naval and industrial marine applications. Sister company Subsea Industries produces Ecospeed protective coatings that Hydrex deploys in scrubber and hull protection work, creating a bundled repair-plus-coating offering. The company has remained founder-owned with no external investors and continues to fund capacity expansion from operating cash flow.

Name

Hydrex

Legal name

Hydrex

Website

https://hydrex.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hydrex provides permanent, class-approved underwater repair and maintenance services for commercial ships, offshore units, and naval vessels worldwide, eliminating drydocking via proprietary cofferdams, mobdocks, and cold straightening deployed by certified in-house diver/technicians from Antwerp.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Underwater Repair and Maintenance Services

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Underwater Inspection, Maintenance & Repair (UWILD, Diving/ROV, In-water Cleaning) (IMAJAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Underwater Hull Inspection, Cleaning & Propeller Services (TLAKAKAJ), Emergency/Expeditionary Repairs & Afloat Maintenance (Voyage Repairs) (IMAJAFAK), Commercial Ship Repair & Drydocking (TLAKAKAA)

Keywords

• Underwater ship repair
• Afloat maintenance services
• Propeller servicing
• Marine hull inspection
• Offshore diving solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Antwerp

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Underwater Repair Services: Turnkey underwater repair services for ships including seal repairs, thruster repairs, propeller repairs, hull repairs, rudder repairs, and scrubber repairs. Performed by certified diver/technicians while vessels remain afloat.
2. Underwater Maintenance Services: Regular maintenance operations including inspections, propeller buffing, anode installation, transducer installation, and blanking performed by skilled divers.
3. Hull Monitoring Services: Unique hull monitoring service providing shipowners total control of hull condition and vessel performance through regular underwater inspections.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hydrex provides turnkey underwater repair and maintenance services for commercial vessels, offshore units, and naval ships, performing permanent class-approved repairs while vessels remain afloat. Core service lines include seal repairs, thruster repairs, propeller repairs (cold straightening, cropping, polishing), hull repairs (cofferdams, shell plating, doubler plates), rudder repairs, scrubber repairs, and underwater maintenance (inspections, propeller buffing, anode and transducer installation). All work is delivered by in-house certified diver/technicians mobilized globally from fast response centers using fully equipped workboats.

Product overview

Hydrex is a maritime underwater repair and maintenance company offering turnkey solutions for ships' underwater components. The company operates a fleet of fully equipped workboats and maintains fast response centers in Antwerp and Rotterdam. Core services include underwater repairs (seal repairs, thruster repairs, propeller repairs, hull repairs, rudder repairs, and scrubber repairs) and underwater maintenance (inspections, propeller buffing, anode installation). The company utilizes proprietary technologies including the flexible mobdock technique for creating dry working environments underwater and the cold straightening technique for propeller blade repairs. All operations are performed by certified diver/technicians while vessels remain afloat, avoiding costly drydock visits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Underwater Repairs Turnkey underwater repair solutions covering seal repairs, thruster repairs, propeller repairs, hull repairs, rudder repairs, and scrubber repairs for commercial vessels, performed by certified diver/technicians while ships remain afloat.
• Underwater Maintenance Daily underwater maintenance operations including inspections, propeller buffing, anode installation, transducer installation, and blanking, performed by skilled Hydrex divers.
• Seal Repairs Underwater seal repair services for stern tube seals and other sealing assemblies using the flexible mobdock technique to create dry working conditions.
• Thruster Repairs Complete underwater thruster repair services including removal, overhaul, and reinstallation of bow thruster units while vessels remain afloat.
• Propeller Repairs Underwater propeller repair services including cold straightening, blade cropping, polishing, and blade replacement to restore propeller balance and hydrodynamic efficiency.
• Hull Repairs Class-approved underwater hull repairs including shell plating replacement, insert repairs, and doubler plate installation for damaged hull sections.
• Rudder Repairs Permanent and temporary underwater rudder repairs using Hydrex's unique rudder mobdock technique that allows repairs without drydocking.
• Scrubber Repairs Underwater scrubber overboard pipe repairs including pipe replacement and corrosion protection using Ecospeed coating supplied by sister company Subsea Industries.
• Custom Underwater Solutions Tailor-made underwater repair solutions engineered in cooperation with customers and third-party suppliers, from feasibility evaluation through design, construction of customized equipment, and successful execution.
• Underwater Inspections and Hull Monitoring Underwater hull monitoring and inspection services including in-water surveys, pintle and tail shaft weardown assessments, pre-docking inspections, and NDT testing such as MPI, eddy current, and thickness measurements.
• Propeller Buffing (Surface Treatment) Award-winning underwater propeller surface treatment technique that achieves ultra-smooth propeller surfaces, delivering 5-10% fuel savings for vessel operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5-10% fuel savings through propeller surface treatment technique
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Subsea IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsea Industries is Hydrex's sister company that produces Ecospeed, a highly corrosion-resistant protective coating used in scrubber pipe repairs and hull protection. The companies frequently exhibit together at industry events such as APM Singapore and OTC Asia, promoting combined underwater repair, maintenance, and protective coatings solutions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Heerema Marine Contractors: Heerema is a Dutch offshore contractor active in transport, installation, and removal of offshore structures. It shares the same Belgian/Dutch maritime cluster as Hydrex and operates in adjacent subsea and offshore service markets, although at very different project scale and scope.
• Subsea Industries: Subsea Industries is Hydrex's sister company, producing the Ecospeed anti-corrosion coating used in scrubber pipe and hull protection work. Though it operates a different layer of the value chain (coatings manufacturing), it is bundled into Hydrex's offering and frequently co-marketed at industry events.
• Royal Boskalis Westminster: Boskalis is a Dutch maritime services company specializing in offshore energy, dredging, and subsea contracting. While primarily focused on large offshore and seabed works, it overlaps with Hydrex in subsea intervention capabilities and the same Northwest European maritime services ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Wärtsilä: Wärtsilä is a Finnish marine technology and services group with ship repair, drydocking, and lifecycle service operations worldwide. It overlaps with Hydrex on vessel maintenance and underwater services, but its scope spans engine systems, decarbonization, and broad shipyard operations rather than a diving-led niche.
• Wallenius Wilhelmsen: Wallenius Wilhelmsen is a Norwegian-based global maritime services group offering vessel and cargo services, including ship management and ship services. It serves overlapping shipowner customers and provides broader shore-based maritime services, although it does not specialize in underwater repair.

Direct peers

• Cathelco: Cathelco is a UK-headquartered specialist in underwater marine equipment and services, including hull corrosion protection and in-water servicing. Its overlapping scope in underwater ship husbandry makes it a comparable international peer, with similar technical expertise serving shipowners.
• Royal Dirkzwager: Royal Dirkzwager is a Dutch maritime services firm with a long-standing underwater ship repair and maintenance division. It is one of the closest direct competitors to Hydrex in the afloat-repair space for commercial vessels in Northwest Europe, using comparable diver/technician teams and emergency-response mobilization.
• KDM Marine: KDM Marine is a Netherlands-based provider of underwater ship repair and maintenance services, including propeller polishing, hull cleaning, and inspection. It serves similar commercial shipping customers with an identical service model, positioning it as one of the most direct competitors in the Benelux region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hydrex

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hydrex