Swedish Sea Rescue hybrid ship uses Torqeedo drive
Torqeedo has supplied an e-propulsion system for a new hybrid rescue vessel that was recently launched by the Swedish Sea Rescue Society. Thanks to the Torqeedo drive, the diesel-electric ship can operate electrically for up to 1.5 hours.
The 14-meter-long hybrid ship, christened Rescue Mercedes Eliasson Sanne, can accommodate a crew of three or four during rescue operations. The ship is operated from the Rörö rescue station in the northern archipelago off Gothenburg and is the first hybrid vessel in the Sea Rescue Society fleet. The primary drive train consisting of two 478 kW diesel engines is supplemented by the electric drive system from Torqeedo. This features two 50 kW electric motors and two 10 kWh batteries. At a search speed of six knots (about 11 kph), the rescue ship can run all-electrically for up to 1.5 hours, Torqeedo reports.
“We use the electric mode when entering and leaving port through Sweden’s environmentally sensitive waterways,” says Lars Samuelsson, head of the maritime department at the Sea Rescue Society. “The crew uses the diesel for high-speed runs out to the rescue location, then switches back to electric for search and rescue operations. It is crucially important to go quietly on the job since even the smallest sound can hinder the search for a missing person in the water.”
Torqeedo CEO Dr Christoph Ballin is convinced that the new ship with dual drive will set a new international standard for sustainable search and rescue boat designs: “It just makes good sense, not only for preserving the environment, but also reducing operating expenses and improving operational capabilities for the search and rescue boats.”
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