Xervo Offers Boat-in-a-Box for Commercial Shipping
Lifeboat producer Xervo has now reimagined and redeveloped its Boat-In-A-Box concept to match the needs of the commercial shipping business, and has already landed its first commercial shipping order for delivery in Q2 2016. The new lifeboat combines Xervo’s well-known safety concept with a compact design that offers better space utilization, lower service and maintenance costs, and a better lifetime value than existing solutions on the market.
The Danish lifeboat producer Xervo said it has been very successful in recent years with its Boat-In-A-Box lifeboat for offshore projects, in particular jack-up rigs in the Norwegian market. Last year the company launched a SOLAS-version of the lifeboat for rig systems, and that variant has now been further developed for use in commercial shipping.
The new commercial shipping design has taken into account optimal space utilization, reliable operation, easy maintenance and good comfort.
“We originally developed the life boat system for very tough conditions – conditions that might require the evacuation a complete rig from a height of 80 meters in very difficult weather. We’ve used that experience in the development of the new concept, where we have taken the most important features and built them into our new, compact system,” said Esben Juul Sørensen, CEO at Xervo.
The Boat-In-A-Box distinguishes itself by taking up very little place on deck, which creates room for more value-creating activities. Many customers also find the lifeboat system’s maintenance concept very attractive, Sørensen said.
“The system offers very easy access, so service and repair are straightforward. It can often take place during a port call, where items are being loaded and unloaded anyway, so it doesn’t get in the way with ordinary operations. Mobilization and preparation for service takes a few minutes, and then the system is immediately operational. This means that over the lifetime of the system there will be a savings of about 30 percent on maintenance costs in comparison to the other systems on the market.”
Xervo said it is currently in full swing with production on the first orders for two systems for A2Sea, which installs offshore wind turbines.
“Until now we’ve focused on lifeboat systems for rigs, particularly for the Norwegian sector, where both the rules and the weather conditions are very tough. That’s gone very well, and it shows we can deliver a product that functions even under the most extreme conditions. This experience and an innovative way of looking at the development of reliable safety equipment has put us in the position to be able to enter an entirely new market in record time,” Sørensen said.
