The Netherlands' Directorate General for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) has launched the research and development phase of a project seeking to introduce new emergency rescue towing vessels (ERTVs) into service.
Under this partnership, three consortia will simultaneously develop solutions for electric ERTVs and the associated charging infrastructure at sea and onshore.
All three consortia have been awarded the contract and will receive compensation to further develop and refine their proposed solutions for the vessels themselves, the offshore and onshore charging infrastructure, and the operational deployment of the complete system.
During the research and development phase, the proposals will be further developed, tested and evaluated.
Ultimately, one consortium will be selected to deliver the project for Rijkswaterstaat. This will allow the contract for construction and operation to be awarded directly, without the need for a separate procurement procedure.
Each consortium comprises a partnership of various companies and/or organisations, each bringing its own specialist expertise.
The selected ERTV design will be operated primarily in the North Sea.
