Sails on an OPV? Vessel Design, with French Flair
Generally, government owned vessels, particularly ones engaged in law enforcement, are seemingly last in line when it comes to fuel efficiency. Not so in France, as the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture (DGAMPA), in late 2024 sealed the deal and commissioned the SOCARENAM-MAURIC consortium to design and build an offshore patrol vessel (OPV) which combines hybrid propulsion and wind sails, among other energy saving/emission reduction enhancements.
According to the government agency, “this order is part of a dual strategic approach: modernizing the fleet dedicated to the control and surveillance system (DCS) and the commitment towards environmental exemplarity of DGAMPA vessels.
The wind-assisted propulsion solution, combined with diesel-electric hybrid propulsion and IMO TIER III compliant engines, are designed to position the vessel “at the forefront of maritime ecological transition,” wrote DGAMPA.
As with all vessel designs, there is not a silver-bullet solution to increased efficiency, and this vessel will also have a hull design optimized through computational fluid dynamics, enhanced insulation with optimized energy management, photovoltaic panels, and an active trim control system.
The 54m OPV is designed for extended 12-day missions with a crew of 20. It will be equipped with two launch and recovery systems for 6.5-m fast semi-rigid inflatable boats capable to intercept at a speed up to 35 knots. The vessel's design with a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure places importance, rightfully so, on seakeeping and crew comfort, through the integration of an anti-roll stabilization combining active fins and passive free surface tank, ensuring optimal operability in all sea states. Her propulsion configuration allows a maximum speed of 17 knots and a range exceeding 3,600 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 12 kts.
Construction will be carried out at Socarenam's shipyard in Boulogne-Sur-Mer, with delivery scheduled for the second half of 2027. Socarenam has built more than 350 ships since 1961, and today it is a French naval shipyard with over 250 employees. MAURIC, a part of the Exail Group, is a naval architecture and marine engineering firm with about 40 naval architects, draftsmen and engineers.
54m OPV Main Particulars
- Crew16 persons
- Duration12 days, up to 200 days at sea per year
- Length53.7 m
- ConstructionSteel hull, aluminum superstructure
- PropulsionDiesel-electric hybrid system with wind assisted propulsion
- Maximum speed17 kts
- Endurance3,600 nm at 12 kts
- Nautical equipment2 semi-rigid boats of 6.50m (speed: 35 kts)
Main Missions
- Protection of national interests
- Maritime fisheries surveillance and control
- Environmental regulations compliance
- Pollution and navigation monitoring
- Assistance to persons
- Public service missions and representation of French Maritime Affairs Administration
3D rendering of the PAMNG. Image ©MAURIC
