Dat Füürschipp goes to work for Kiel Fire Department

Written by Nick Blenkey
Dat Füürschipp

Dat Füürschipp on the water. [PhotoL Molabo]

Delivered by Finland’s Kewatec Shipyards to the Kiel Fire Department in Germany, Dat Füürschipp is a 16.05 meter fire rescue boat with an innovative hybrid electric waterjet propulsion system, It is set to soon start operations in the Kiel Canal, Kiel Fjord, and up to 10 nautical miles off the coast of Germany.

Dat Füürschipp’s name is the Low German word for “lightship,” describing a floating lighthouse at sea, designed to prevent dangerous situations.

Based on Kewatec’s e-FiFi 1470 design, it is powered by two 50 kW electric drives running on a 48-volt technology patented by Ottobrunn, Germany-based Molabo and two Doen WaterJets drives, backed up by standard Volvo combustion engines in a hybrid configuration.

Molabo says that Dat Füürschipp’s 48-volt drive offers significant safety advantages compared to conventional high-voltage systems. The safe-to-touch electric drive system does not require specialized high-voltage trained personnel to install, repair or maintain the system and it reduces risk to crew members, emergency personnel, and the public while maintaining fast and efficient operational performance.

The Doen Waterjets further enhance safety by eliminating the in-water hazard of the propeller for safer rescue and retrieval operations.

The vessel can operate in three modes: Diesel, Electric and Boost. In electric mode, the boat operates quietly and with zero emissions—ideal for missions where engine noise and vibration could inhibit search and rescue operations, impede communication on board or between vessels, or otherwise complicate the operation.

The original contract for the vessel specified that the electric drive must maintain speeds up to six knots for up to two hours during rescue operations, benchmarks which the final Molabo-powered system comfortably outperformed, attaining a top speed of 6.8 knots.

In diesel mode, the boat’s combustion engines are activated for extended missions or when operating in very demanding weather or sea conditions. In boost mode, both the electric and combustion drivetrains are activated, adding up to 3.5 knots to the vessel’s diesel mode top speed for faster response times.

“Safety is paramount to Molabo – that’s why we developed the world’s first safe-to-touch high-performance electric drive,” said Adrian Patzak, COO of Molabo GmbH. “Now the brave firefighters of Kiel have a state-of-the-art and powerful new tool to help keep the people and waterways of Kiel safe, clean and protected. We’re proud to be a part of it.“

Dat Füürschipp particulars

Length OA: 16.05 meters
Hull length: 14.67 meters
Length WL:13.4 meters
Beam: 4.79 meters
Displacement: 23.9 tonnes light, 25.5 tonnes full load
Waterjets: 2 x Doen WaterJets DJ172-HE 432 mm axial build with hybrid PTI
Engines: 2 x Volvo D13-700 rated 515 kW at 2250 rpm
Gearboxes: 2 x ZF 325-1 ratio 1.459:1
Electric motors: 2 x Molabo Aries i50
Rated: 50 kW at 4350-6500 rpm
Designed: 35 kW at 3050-6500 rpm
Neugart planetary gearbox 3:1 ratio
PTI/PTO: Carbon belt
1.422:1 drive belt ratio
Performance: 31.3 knots at 25.5 tonnes (diesel mode)
33.5 knots at 25.5 tonnes (boost mode)
6.8 knots at 25.5 tonnes (electric mode}

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