(SPAY, Germany) — Schottel will equip five new traffic safety vessels for the German Rhine Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSA) with electrically driven Schottel rudder propellers. The Bolle shipyard in Derben, Germany, has been commissioned with the construction of the modern multipurpose vessels following tenders submitted throughout Europe.
The modern traffic safety vessels will each be fitted with two Schottel rudder propellers type SRP 100 which are being produced for use with vertically mounted electric drive motors (L-drive variant) for the first time. The motors are powered by lithium-ion batteries and diesel generators which in combination create a serial hybrid system. The batteries enable short trips to be made without the diesel generators and can quickly and efficiently compensate for peak demands during use.
The 360-degree steerable SRP combines maximum vessel maneuverability with outstanding course stability during free sailing while providing powerful thrust in any chosen direction at all times. The compact and robust design of the SRP 100 allows vessels to be operated in both low and shallow waters and makes them resistant to any collisions with flotsam.
The lead vessel in the new series, MS Emmerich, has been in operation for WSA Rhine since July 2020. As the first innovative, future-orientated multipurpose vessel for the Waterways and Shipping Administration, it is the prototype for the series currently under construction.
The new traffic safety vessels are all 109 feet long and 24 feet wide, each having a crane system and landing ramp. They will replace the current vessels MS Neuss, MS Rees, MS Koln, MS Homberg and MS Bonn and will be operated on the German part of the Rhine between Duisburg and Bonn on a distance of approximately 81 miles.
Besides checking and servicing navigation signs, their tasks also include clearing shipping disruptions, transporting vehicles and work equipment and salvaging flotsam.
– Schottel
