AWARDS 2025 | Best Inland Patrol Boat – Burgermeister Brauer – Baltic Workboats
This new 29-metre, plug-in hybrid boat delivered to Germany’s Hamburg Water Police by Baltic Workboats was designed for patrol duties in the Port of Hamburg, the Lower Elbe River, and adjacent North Sea territorial waters.
Two diesel engines serve as the main power source for high-speed transits, while two 500kW electric motors enable the boat to operate exclusively on battery power for up to two hours at a cruising speed of seven knots. This configuration supports silent, low-emission patrols in sensitive harbour areas and contributes to the city’s target of a climate-neutral fleet by 2040.
Built as part of the Hamburg Water Police fleet renewal, Burgermeister Brauer replaces older petrol-powered vessels with a more sustainable and versatile platform. It combines high performance for pursuit and intervention with quiet electric operation for routine surveillance and community engagement in one of Europe’s busiest ports.
"She is a technologically advanced vessel with a focus on propulsion efficiency and fuel savings across a range of operating speeds," Rimo Timm, Head of Sales at BWB, told Baird Maritime. "This is very unique since usually the optimum spot is at one speed, but due to multiple input sources with various power ratings and an energy storage system of 440 kWh capacity, the vessel’s energy usage can be optimised from zero to 25 knots.
"This also helps minimise the maintenance costs since smaller diesel engines are much more cost-efficient to maintain. Also running hours on the main engines and generators can be optimised, thus making the maintenance period longer."
She is a technologically advanced vessel with a focus on propulsion efficiency and fuel savings across a range of operating speeds.
Timm remarked that work on the vessel proved challenging project due to the technical concept being new and the limited space available for equipment on a 29-metre-long platform.
"However, thanks to the input from our professional team and good cooperation with the customer, we managed to build a vessel with good operating capabilities while optimising maintenance costs. The project also provided us with experience in the development of state-of-the-art propulsion systems. We have also now delivered a second vessel of the same type to the customer."
The development of Bürgermeister Brauer as a hybrid vessel was done partly to address the need to reduce emissions, which Timm observed is one of the trends currently impacting shipbuilding. Customers are also looking for multi-functionality to optimise their fleet sizes and costs.
"Also, due to the very tense security situation, we see greater interest in naval and law-enforcement vessels as well as semi-autonomous platforms."
In Timm's view, autonomous and unmanned platforms are also being favoured by a growing number of operators within the maritime security sector.
We see greater interest in naval and law-enforcement vessels as well as semi-autonomous platforms.
"I believe this will be one of the areas to focus on in the coming years," he told Baird Maritime. "On the other hand, we see that for larger platforms, manned vessels are still dominant as unmanned platforms still have to overcome issues such as those related to maintenance and general safety."
Timm expects that the maritime security sector itself will become an area of focus within the broader European workboat industry in the coming years.
"We see governments renewing and increasing their fleets to have better surveillance and reaction capabilities to possible sabotage or unfriendly incidents in the sea areas."
For a list of the 2025 "Best Of" award winners, please click here.