German waterway authority's newest emergency response vessel launched in Lithuania

Lithuania's Western Baltija Shipbuilding has launched a new multi-purpose vessel ordered by the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration of Germany (Wasser- und Schifffahrtsverwaltung des Bundes; WSV).

Named after an island in the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park, Mellum is the second in a series of three MPVs that Western Baltija is building for the WSV. The vessel will be towed across the Baltic Sea to Germany, where it will undergo final outfitting at local shipbuilder Abeking and Rasmussen.

Once in service, the MPV will be used for a range of duties including buoy laying, firefighting, emergency towing, and oil spill response. Accommodation will be available for 16 crewmembers and up to 34 additional personnel.

Mellum has an LOA of 105 metres, a beam of 20 metres, a draught of 6.1 metres, and LNG-fuelled engines that will deliver a maximum speed of 15 knots and a bollard pull of 145 tonnes. A helicopter deck is also fitted.

The interior spaces will be configured to allow safe operation even in environments where harmful gases are present.