The Port of Oslo has signed a contract with Norwegian boat builder Maritime Partner to deliver a new hybrid harbor patrol boat in early 2021. The vessel, an Alusafe 1300 MKIII Patrol Hybrid, will be in daily use and employed for port surveillance as well as escorting larger vessels sailing in the harbor.
Its makers and the port authorities claim it will be among the most environmentally friendly of its type. The hybrid propulsion system is said to reduce the use of diesel by about 70% compared to similar non-hybrid versions.
As the name suggests, the Alusafe has a lightweight aluminum hull, and propulsion is provided by twin water jets. While in port, it will run in purely electric power, at speeds of between 4kts and 5kts, but for high-speed operations power is switch to the diesel motors which are also used to charge the batteries. Running time on electric is between three and four hours. When moored, the onboard batteries can also be topped up via a shore link.
The acquisition of the new vessel is just one part of the Port of Oslo’s project to become emissions free, and further steps will be made to replace existing equipment with low-emissions alternatives.