Port of Klaipeda Orders Fully Electric Waste Collection Tanker
The Port of Klaipėda has placed an order worth roughly €11 million for the design and construction of a fully electric tanker that will collect waste from other vessels arriving at the port.
The project marks the first large collaboration between Baltic Workboats and Western Baltija Shipbuilding, a subsidiary within BLRT Grupp.
The 42-m long and 10-m wide tanker will carry up to 400 m3 of liquid waste. The vessel will have a fully electric propulsion system with 2,000 kWh of batteries installed on board, meaning she can sail at 8 knots continuously for 8 hours without charging. Furthermore, she will be rigged with automation devices and technologies to support her efficient operation by a three-member crew while ensuring power consumption and operational profile optimization.
Once Western Baltic Engineering, a subsidiary within BLRT Grupp, has developed a detailed design, Western Baltija Shipbuilding will build a hull and install most auxiliary systems. Baltic Workboats, in turn, will design and install electric propulsion and control solution including battery packs with power management system, and navigation and automation systems and will complete the outfitting of the interior accommodation areas.
“We have built hybrid and electric ferries and patrol vessels in the past and are excited to build our first tanker with fully electric propulsion – what makes us especially proud is that it will sail in one of the Baltic states. We are anticipating working together with the Port of Klaipeda again, having built workboats and pilot boats for them in the past,” commented Rimo Timm, Head of Sales at Baltic Workboats.
“Our shipyard is delighted to be part of a consortium with Baltic Workboats to construct, paint and equip a waste collection vessel that will contribute to reducing the environmental impact in the harbor waters where the subsidiaries of BLRT Grupp operate. We have previously built vessels with different types of engines, but this will be the first all-electric engine vessel we construct,” said Ilja Andrusenko, Head of Marketing at Western Baltija Shipbuilding.
The tanker will be equipped to collect and treat waste and rainwater, and any additional waste from ships arriving at the Port of Klaipėda will be transported to treatment facilities onshore. The tanker will operate 24/7.
The design of the tanker is already underway, and construction is set to begin this year in the fall. The project is expected to take 24 months, with delivery scheduled for the summer of 2025.
