Nordic Yards JV wins $115m contract for 80-metre pilot boat mothership
Nordic Yards Group, a joint venture between Estonian shipyard Baltic Workboats (BWB) and Finland's Uudenkaupungin Työvene, has signed a contract with the Belgian state enterprise DAB Vloot to design and build an environmentally friendly 80-metre pilot boat mothership.
The price for one vessel is 54.4 million euros (US$57 million), but the project includes an option for a second equivalent vessel, bringing the total transaction volume up to 110 million euros.
The construction period for the first vessel is 42 months, of which 12 months have been allocated for the design.
The high-tech ship will operate in the North Sea and will be equipped with an environmentally friendly diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system.
The vessel's propulsion system will comprise six Volvo Penta diesel generators with a total capacity of 3,750 kW and a battery bank with 1,130 kWh capacity.
A smart control system will automatically optimise energy use, reduce CO2 emissions, fuel consumption, and maintenance costs.
The vessel will be designed for seaworthiness, as it must be able to operate in all weather conditions as a base vessel for smaller pilot boats.
The ship must be able to operate at full functionality in wave heights of up to four metres and accommodate 20 crewmembers and 12 pilots in modern living and working conditions.
