VESSEL REVIEW | Cote de Jade – Hybrid buoy tender to be deployed in France's Pays de la Loire region
Armement des Phares et Balises (APB), a marine services provider based in the Brittany Region of northwestern France, has taken delivery of a new hybrid buoy tender built by local shipyard Chantier Naval Delavergne.
Cote de Jade will be operated by APB out of Saint-Nazaire to maintain aids to navigation in the Pays de la Loire region. She was designed to be capable of sustained low-speed navigation at work sites and operation for extended periods in offshore waters.
Deck laid out for enhanced safety
The vessel has all-aluminium construction, an LOA of 27.5 metres (90.2 feet), and a beam of 7.5 metres (25 feet). The wheelhouse benefits from all-round visibility, which will also enable the bridge crew to directly oversee operations on the spacious aft deck, thus enhancing safety.
The deck equipment includes a Hydro-Armor hydraulic crane with a lifting capacity of 22 tonnes.
Optimised propulsion for more efficient operation
To permit a range of operating profiles, Alternatives Energies La Rochelle fitted Cote de Jade with a hybrid propulsion arrangement that includes two 500hp (370kW) diesel engines for fast transits to and from work sites and batteries driving electric motors whenever lower-speed manoeuvring is necessary, such as when entering and leaving port.
The batteries can be charged via dedicated jetty infrastructure or by using the vessel’s onboard generator if still some distance from shore.
An automated energy management system ensures optimisation of energy use as well as continuous operation. This makes it possible to operate with fewer emissions, increase the service life of the generator, reduce maintenance requirements, and produce only minimal noise, thus improving crew comfort during extended periods at sea.
The propulsion arrangement also includes two podded thrusters and a bow thruster from Hydro-Armor. A dynamic positioning system works in conjunction with the thrusters to enable automatic positioning essential for maintenance and installation activities.
Cote de Jade was built in compliance with Bureau Veritas class requirements. She has since replaced two smaller buoy tenders that APB had been operating in the Loire estuary and around Noirmoutier Island.
Her acquisition is part of APB’s ongoing fleet upgrade program, which also includes the introduction of the larger buoy tender Augustin Fresnel into service.
