The City of Kiel Fire Department, Germany has taken delivery of a firefighting and rescue boat with a twist: the newly built Rescue 1500-class vessel comes equipped with a hybrid waterjet propulsion system. Constructed by Finnish shipyard Kewatec, and christened Dat Füürschipp, the 16m x 4.8m boat has been developed for firefighting, disaster response, civil protection and at-sea rescues in the Kiel Canal and Kiel Fjord, and up to 10nm off Germany’s coast.
The Rescue 1500’s design is based on Kewatec’s e-FiFi 1470 design. However, while that type employs a pair of 515kW Volvo Penta D13 engines, this newbuild adds two Molabo Aries i50 electric motors, each rated 50kW, plus two jet drives. The motors incorporate Molabo’s patented 48v technology, which, Molabo says, “offers significant safety advantages compared to conventional high-voltage systems”. Effectively, Molabo adds, this makes it safe for crew, first responders and even casualties to touch the electric drive system, and removes the need to use specialist personnel, trained in high-voltage systems, when handling installation, repair or maintenance work.
The propulsive arrangement is completed by a pair of Doen DJ172-HE waterjets. “Waterjets have become standard equipment on firefighting vessels because they are able to precisely position the vessel and hold station easily,” a spokesperson for Molabo comments.
The vessel can operate in three modes: Diesel, Electric or Boost. Diesel mode, in which the boat falls back on its Volvo Penta models, is intended for use on extended missions, or when up against harsh weather and waves. In this particular mode, the crew can expect to achieve a top speed of 31.3knots. Electric mode, meanwhile, enables zero-emissions operations while cutting engine noise and vibrations – conditions that could interfere with search and rescue operations, or disrupt communications between Dat Füürschipp and other vessels. Molabo’s spokesperson adds: “The Rescue 1500’s original contract specified that the electric drive must maintain speeds up to 6knots for up to two hours during rescue operations, benchmarks which the system outperformed, attaining a top speed of 6.8 knots.”
Finally, Boost mode, intended for the fastest emergency response possible, activates both the electric and standard combustion drivetrains, adding between 2-3.5knots to the boat’s top speed in Diesel mode.
At the time of going to press, the City of Kiel Fire Department was wrapping up personnel training and preparing to put the boat on 24/7 stand-by.
