Flotte Hamburg, the marine services provider that serves clients in the Port of Hamburg in Germany, has placed an order for two new workboats in a series to be built by local shipyard Hermann Barthel. The workboats will be fitted with all-electric propulsion in anticipation of new laws forbidding vessels with traditional combustion engines from operating in the waters of Hamburg beginning in 2030.
Each workboat will measure 16 metres long and will have a wheelhouse that can be hydraulically lowered by 2.35 metres to allow passage underneath bridges. Duties will include transport and inspection, particularly in the Inner and Outer Alster River.
The vessel's electric drives will also generate only minimal noise and will deliver speeds of up to 7.5 knots. The onboard batteries will also have sufficient capacity to enable daily operation with few chargings in-between.
Each workboat will be crewed by two people. A draught of only one metre will allow access to most areas of the port and the nearby Alster.