Molabo, a German manufacturer of 48-volt electric motors, has announced that Finnish shipyard Kewatec delivered a 16-meter-long firefighting and rescue boat to the Kiel, Germany, fire department that is equipped with a hybrid waterjet propulsion system using Molabo’s Aries i50 electric motors.
The RESCUE 1500 boat, based on Kewatec’s e-FiFi 1470 design, is powered by two 50 kW electric drives running on Molabo’s 48 V technology and two jet drives from DOEN Waterjets, in addition to standard combustion engines.
The vessel can operate in either electric or diesel mode as well as in boost mode, in which both the electric and combustion drive trains are activated. This adds up to 3.5 knots to the diesel mode’s top speed. In electric mode, the vessel attains a top speed of 6.8 knots, exceeding the contractual requirement that it be able to maintain speeds of up to 6 knots for up to two hours.
Installation, repair and maintenance of Molabo’s safe-to-touch drive system does not require specialized personnel trained to handle high voltage, thus reducing risk to crew, emergency workers and the public. In addition, the boat’s jet drives eliminate propeller hazard.
“Safety is paramount to Molabo—that’s why we developed the safe-to-touch high-performance electric drive,” said Molabo COO Adrian Patzak.
Source: Molabo
