Multraship Towage & Salvage has won a contract to supply two emergency rescue and towing vessels (ERTVs) to the Netherlands’ Coastguard.
These vessels will monitor shipping safety and provide emergency response in the southern section of the North Sea, including around two offshore windfarms. The contract for vessel deployments, won 1 July 2022, will last for 4.5 years, with options for extensions.
For this contract, Terneuzen, the Netherlands-headquartered Multraship acquired two oceangoing towage and anchor-handling vessels from ALP Maritime Services.
ALP Ace, built 2006, has been renamed Multraship Commander and will be stationed at the Borssele windfarm. Multraship Protector, formerly 2007-built ALP Ippon, will be on standby for the Hollandse Kust windfarm after its stay in Vlissingen.
Multraship has deployed ERTV Guardian in Den Helder to monitor shipping safety in the northern section of the North Sea since 2016.
The two ERTVs at Borssele and Hollandse Kust will be directed by the Netherlands Coastguard to reduce risk.
“With the arrival of the emergency tugs, we have found a good way to limit the safety risks associated with these offshore windfarms for shipping in the years ahead,” said Coastguard director Nicole Kuipers.
“The Borssele and Hollandse Kust windfarms are surrounded by shipping lanes and anchorage areas. This will be the primary focus of the deployment of these two extra ERTVs.”
These vessels can intervene 24/7 from strategic positions in the North Sea to assist drifting vessels in distress, to prevent damage to ships and structures within the windfarms and can be used in search and rescue operations.
Deploying these emergency response vessels was prompted by a maritime accident and salvage in January 2022. Salvors from Multraship and Smit rescued drifting cargo ship Julietta D off the Dutch coast, after it damaged a tanker and structures in the Hollandse Kust offshore windfarm.
Multraship is part of the Muller Maritime Group, with core activities of harbour towage, salvage and wreck removal, ocean towage and services to the offshore energy and dredging industries. It operates a large and modern fleet of tugs, salvage craft and support vessels.
