Two new hybrid pilot boats will accompany ships entering and leaving the Klaipėda Port next year.
A contract has been signed with Baltic Workboats AS of Estonia for the acquisition. The new boats will operate 24/7 and will be able to function in harsh weather conditions, even when the sea wave height reaches 5 metres and the wind speed hits 30 metres per second (m/s).
The boats will also be equipped with search and rescue equipment for rescuing persons in the water: an onboard crane, a rescue platform, and searchlights with integrated thermal cameras; they will be powered by diesel-electric drive.
Electric charging stations for boats will be located at the port authority’s new fleet base and near the company’s planned new administration building.
The pilot boats will be built at the “Baltic Workboats AS” shipyard on the island of Saaremaa in Estonia and should reach Klaipėda Port at the end of 2025.
“At the end of next year, a hydrogen-powered waste collection vessel and two new-style hybrid pilot boats will be sailing in the channel,” said Algis Latakas, Director General of the Klaipėda Port Authority.
“Klaipėda Port is undergoing renewal and modernisation while taking a comprehensive approach to environmental improvement within the port.”
Just recently, the port completed its first successful ship-to-ship (STS) liquified natural gas (LNG) bunkering operation.