Norwegian project orders first full-electric freefall lifeboat

Dutch lifeboat manufacturer Verhoef has been awarded a contract by Norway’s Valhall Flank West project for the delivery of aluminium freefall lifeboats with electric propulsion.

The all-aluminium freefall lifeboat, type FL50-NS-EP, has a battery-powered electric motor and a maximum capacity of 32 persons.

The battery pack has been designed to sail 30 minutes at full speed, and after that 10 hours at 50 per cent of maximum speed.

The 11.25-metre-long freefall lifeboat (3.5 metres wide) will be used on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

The contract with AkerBP was signed at Stavanger, with an optional agreement made for similar projects in the future.

“In order for us to plan for completion of the jacket and platform deck in May 2019, this lifeboat needed to be ordered now,” said Project Manager Stein Erlend Skei.