VESSEL REVIEW | RPP1083 – Rescue and spill response boat to serve Finland’s North Ostrobothnia region

The North Ostrobothnia Welfare Area (NOWA), a public health and emergency response agency based in the North Ostrobothnia region of northern Finland, recently took delivery of a new search and rescue (SAR), firefighting, and oil recovery vessel. Built by local shipyard Marine Alutech, the 22-metre (72-foot) aluminium vessel has been given the official designation RPP1083.

Multi-role vessel designed for low temperatures

“The boat was designed to be especially economical to use due to its efficient powertrain and propulsion combination, while the low noise level in wheelhouse and accommodation provide the crew with maximum comfort during operations,” builder Marine Alutech told Baird Maritime. “Also, the ice navigation capability does not negatively impact the vessel’s performance, making it a multi-functional platform for year-round use in Arctic environments.”

The builder said the new boat was specifically designed for SAR, firefighting, and oil recovery operations in the Gulf of Bothnia. It will be operated primarily off the coast of the city of Oulu, an area of Northern Finland characterised by shallow waters, small harbours, outlying islands, and rocky stretches that carry an increased risk of maritime accidents. The vessel can also withstand rough sea conditions and can operate in ice up to 20 cm (7.9 inches) thick.

“For this size of vessel with many integrated systems, our designers and builders had to incorporate innovative and functional solutions. Therefore, the key to the success of the project was the communication and cooperation with the customer and our suppliers. We learned that more active communication with equipment suppliers before commencing work on a complex project was a sensible approach.”

For Marine Alutech, the main challenge in the construction was in relation to the central hydraulic system, which is capable of providing power to onboard hydraulic equipment. The system was built with a backup so that all critical systems that were needed to operate the vessel can still function even in the event of a main system malfunction.

The size of the vessel meanwhile provided Marine Alutech with a suitable working environment during installation works. In the builder’s view, construction of the vessel itself was generally straightforward, especially after the design team completed work on the hydraulic and electrical systems.

The propulsion setup consists of two Scania DI13-070M diesel engines driving four-bladed steel propellers via Twin Disc gearboxes. According to the builder, this configuration ensures optimal operation, durability, and efficiency.

“The propulsion setup is controlled by Twin Disc’s proprietary joystick system, which enhances manoeuvrability and ease of operation by integrating joystick control with the transmission and the electronic controls,” said Marine Alutech. “This enables precise control of vessel movement in all directions whether forward, backward, sideways, or rotational.”

The vessel’s electronics suite consists of a predominantly Raymarine setup with displays, a GPS, a radar, a sonar, an autopilot, an AIS, and a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera. Most of the onboard systems are automated and can be operated by programmable logic controllers (PLCs) with customisable touchscreen human-machine interfaces (HMIs) in the wheelhouse. This allows the vessel to be operated by a smaller crew as the monitoring and control of various systems – such as those for firefighting and oil spill recovery – are ergonomically placed in the wheelhouse and are easily accessible at all times.

Comprehensive SAR and spill cleanup kit

The deck equipment meanwhile includes bow and stern anchors, two hydraulic vertical axis windlasses/capstans, and a stern ramp. Lamor meanwhile supplied the vessel with an integrated skimming system for oil recovery. This consists of two oil recovery spaces located on each side of the hull.

“The oil recovery space has hydraulically operated side hatches, skimmer brushes, a through-hull tunnel with directional flow propellers, and transfer pumps for oil handling,” Marine Alutech told Baird Maritime. “The system is designed so that the collected oil is transferred from the recovery space by the transfer pump to external storage tanks or bags.”

The vessel can operate in potentially explosive atmospheres and still ensure safe operation of the deck equipment, primarily the oil recovery systems. The spacious aft deck has room for a Fassi crane and a small multi-purpose boat from Arctic Airboats. The latter will be used for SAR in coastal areas that the larger NOWA vessel cannot access due to draught restrictions.

“The oil recovery system has its own standalone auxiliary engine for running the hydraulics,” said Marine Alutech. “The hydraulic system redundancy is tripled as both main engines also have independent hydraulic power take-off (PTO).”