Estonian duo to build pilot vessel hull for Belgium

Estonian shipbuilders Baltic Workboats and Western Baltija Shipbuilding, part of the BLRT Grupp, have signed a contract for the hull construction of an 80-meter pilot base vessel commissioned by Vloot DAB, the state-owned fleet operator of Belgium.

As disclosed, the vessel will measure 80 meters in length and 13.3 meters in beam. It is designed to maintain speeds of up to 14 knots in sea conditions with a significant wave height of 2.8 meters.

Special emphasis has been placed on seakeeping performance and crew comfort, according to Baltic Workboats.

The unit is designed for a crew of 20 members, and it will accommodate up to 12 pilots (10 standard and 2 additional based on operational requirements).

The platform will be fully customized to meet the specific needs and will incorporate an environmentally friendly propulsion system with a designated energy storage system for a fully electric operation mode.

The total value of the project is estimated at around €55 million.

“This marks a major milestone for Baltic Workboats as the largest vessel ever undertaken by the company,” said Margus Vanaselja, CEO of Baltic Workboats.

“It also represents another successful collaboration with BLRT Grupp AS, following our previous project — the 42-meter fully electric waste collection tanker for the Port of Klaipeda.”

“We are delighted to start another project with Baltic Workboats with whom we have a good track record of successful projects,” added Vitalij Frolov, CEO of Western Baltija Shipbuilding.

“Baltic Workboats have proven to be a reliable partner, giving us the confidence to take on challenging and large-scale projects together also in the future.”