This capability is tasked with responding to stricken ships, pollution from shipping and assisting in maritime search and rescue operations.
Smit Lamnalco will be providing an enhanced capability which will be bigger, more powerful, faster and more fuel efficient than our current capability, the Coral Knight, which comes to the end of its contract in June 2024.
The new-build vessel will be well placed to respond to maritime casualties involving bigger and heavier merchant ships which we are seeing transit our waters. This addresses concerns for the many people who live, work and play in these precious waters which are also important economic trade routes for Australia and the world.
The new-build vessel will be more fuel efficient than its predecessor, the Coral Knight, with a hybrid propulsion system that allows the power generation system to be optimised for the desired operational profile and speed. Consideration has also been given in the design stage for the use of methanol as an alternative future fuel source which aligns with the global push to reduce emissions and decarbonise shipping.
The new-build vessel will have more deck space for AtoN work, a higher performing workboat, and an all-terrain vehicle for AtoN work on land. It will also have a more accurate and fuel-efficient dynamic positioning system than the current capability, which is advantageous for placement of buoys where positioning is critical for navigational safety.
This contract with Smit Lamnalco will also see an additional crew member compared to our current arrangement.
While our dedicated new-build vessel is built over the coming years, Smit Lamnalco will provide an interim vessel which is also an enhancement on our existing capability.
Follow us on social media for updates about this exciting new era of safe and clean seas, and saving lives.
In the meantime, take a look at the rendering below for a preview of how the new-build will shape-up:
