New Hamburg fire vessels are versatile as well as green

Plug-in hybrid vessels are capable of extended, fully-electric, emissions-free operations

Damen Shipyards has handed over twin plug-in hybrid firefighting vessels to Flotte Hamburg, a subsidiary of the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) that is tasked with implementing low-emission shipping in the city.

With 315 kWh of battery capacity, the state-of-the-art, plug-in hybrid vessels are capable of extended, fully-electric, emissions-free operations in and around the Port of Hamburg.

One, the Prag, will be operated by Hamburg’s fire service while the other, Dresden, will support the HPA, the fire service and other third parties.

The 35.5 meter vessels, classed as Damen 3508 fire-fighting vessels, have a maximum speed of 12 knots, Equipped to do more than simply fight fires, they can also supply water and carry our rescue and recovery, technical assistance and environmental protection missions. With the ability to lower their wheelhouses and a draft of just 1.5 meters they can also undertake bridge inspections and maintenance within the city, as well as serving locations that larger vessels would be unable to reach.

Additional versatility comes from the ability to position mission containers on deck for additional fire-fighting equipment and day accommodations for up to 16 firefighters. The installed Fi-Fi systems include remote operation capability, foam pump and control systems, a pre-wetting system, a water spray system around the vessels and internal fire-fighting capability using a Stat-X aerosol fire suppression system. The climate-controlled wheelhouse and dayroom accommodate up to six crew.