New Swedish Sea Rescue Society boat has dual diesel and electric power

The newest boat in the Swedish Sea Rescue Society’s fleet will be powered, in part, by a Torqeedo battery-electric propulsion system. It is the first vessel in the fleet to have parallel diesel and electric motors.

The primary power is twin 650 horsepower Scania diesel engines with water jets. The electric drive system consists of dual Torqeedo Deep Blue 50 KW electric motors for a combined 160 horsepower-equivalent with two 10 kWh Deep Blue lithium batteries. The vessel can operate silently and emission-free for up to 1.5 hours between recharges at a search speed of 6 knots.

Torqeedo Deep Blue 50 KW electric motor

“We use the electric mode when entering and leaving port through Sweden’s environmentally sensitive waterways,” says Lars Samuelsson, Head of the Maritime Department. “The crew uses the diesel engines 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.”

The 14-metre (46-ft) composite vessel, christened Rescue Mercedes Eliasson Sanne, carries a crew of three or four people for rescue missions. It operates out of the Rörö rescue station in Gothenburg’s northern archipelago.

“We believe this new dual-mode boat will set a new standard for sustainable search and rescue boat designs internationally,” said Dr. Christoph Ballin, CEO of Torqeedo. “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.”

The Swedish Sea Rescue Society is a non-profit association that saves lives at sea without any government support. There are 2,200 volunteer seafarers along the coast of Sweden and in the largest lakes.

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