Fairplay Towage Order Ice-class Workboat from Damen

Fairplay Towage Polska has ordered a Shoalbuster 2711 ICE vessel from the standardized workboat portfolio of the Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards Group. The company will use the newbuild to perform 

Designed with extremely shallow draft capability, large cargo capacity and 45 tonne bollard pull, the vessel will be built in Poland and used for diverse operations, including in the offshore wind industry, in the Baltic and North seas.

Despite the standard nature of the design, Damen is able to tailor the vessel to the requirements of its clients. In this instance, Fairplay Towage required a number of non-standard features that make this order stand out. For instanece, this will be the first Shoalbuster 2711 to feature ice class to enable her to work all year round in Baltic ports. It will also be the first vessel of this type not only compliant with, but certified to, IMO Tier III emissions regulations.

Fairplay Towage Polska, Offshore Wind project manager Arkadiusz Ryz said, “We are very happy with this order. The process of selecting a platform was not easy. Finding a multi-tasking vessel meeting our requirements and built to the highest standards was a challenge, but the Damen team managed this difficult task perfectly.

“This vessel will be the first in our fleet of this power that is able to enter Baltic and North Sea ports with limited depths. I am convinced that this Shoalbuster, meeting IMO Tier III emission requirements, will open up new markets for us. She has the potential to play an important role in developing our presence in the emerging offshore wind industry in Poland.

“A big advantage of the project is the local content – Damen is building the vessel entirely in Poland. She will be the first such vessel built here, though I think she will not be the last one.”