VESSEL REVIEW | Eem Surveyor – River clearance boat for Netherlands' Utrecht Province
The Province of Utrecht in the central Netherlands recently commissioned a new battery-powered inland workboat into service.
The 19.9- by 4.9-metre (65.3- by 16-foot) Eem Surveyor will be used for inspection of the province's inland waterways (primarily along its namesake Eem River), following up on reports and calamities, oil spill response, and carrying out minor maintenance. The vessel's maintenance duties will include keeping waterways freely navigable and removing debris such as refuse, loose vegetation, and the carcasses of animals.
The new workboat replaces the current vessel De Birkt, a workboat that was originally completed in 1924 and that has been in operation in Utrecht for 40 years. The older vessel will be deployed elsewhere following the replacement of its diesel engine with a lower-emission powerplant.
Lower-emission upgrade for Utrecht's river maintenance fleet
The provincial government of Utrecht opted for a workboat fitted with 280kWh batteries and electric motors to reduce emissions, vibration, wake and noise, which would then translate into only minimal adverse impact on the surrounding environment and residential areas. A bow thruster provides additional lateral manoeuvrability essential in narrow inland waterways.
The boat’s operating profile will include overnight charging of the batteries by plugging in at the berth at Ocrieteiland near Eembrugge. A full charge of the batteries will enable the boat to sail for up to 20 hours at just over five knots.
Equipped for debris detection and removal
The use of electric propulsion also translates into lower operating costs, as the motors are designed for only minimal maintenance. According to the provincial government, any debris buildup on the motors can be cleaned only once every three years.
A Fassi knuckle boom crane is fitted on the open foredeck for loading and unloading of cargo and debris. The deck itself has a total cargo capacity of 10 tonnes. The wheelhouse electronics meanwhile include a sonar (a piece of navigational equipment that the older De Birkt did not possess) for detecting submerged obstacles for cleanup or avoidance.
Eem Surveyor was built over a period of four years at the facilities of local shipyard Groeneveldt Marine Construction with design work provided by naval architecture firms Maritime Developers and Gaastmeer Design. The workboat will be used by the province for supervision of the Eem, from the Koppelpoort in Amersfoort via Soest, Baarn, Eembrugge and Eemdijk to the Eemmeer.
