Since 1 July 2022, the Netherlands Coastguard has a new emergency response tug: Multraship Commander (flying the Dutch flag). This emergency response tug was commissioned on July 27 and is stationed at the Borssele wind farm to monitor shipping safety.
Preventing Incidents
In the event that a ship loses propulsion and drifts into a windmill, it is necessary that help is on site as soon as possible to prevent damage to the ship and the wind farm. That is why the emergency response tug is stationed at sea as a precaution to prevent accidents. The ship can also provide assistance in search and rescue operations.
Wind Farm Borssele
On behalf of the ministries involved, the Netherlands Coastguard has had an emergency response tug at its disposal at the Borssele wind farm since 1 January 2021. This wind farm is located off the coast of Zeeland and is currently the largest Dutch offshore wind farm.
Until 1 July, this role was fulfilled by temporary ships. The Multraship Commander will take on the task for a period of 4.5 years, with the possibility of extension. The Multraship Commander, formerly the Alp Ace, has been taken over by the towage and salvage company Multraship to be available 24/7 for the Coast Guard.
Three emergency response tugs
With the arrival of the Multraship Commander, the Netherlands Coastguard now has two permanent emergency response tugs at its disposal. In addition to the Multraship Commander and the Guardian, a third ship will be added on 1 August: Multraship Protector (formerly the Alp Ippon). This emergency response tug will be positioned at the Hollandse Kust wind farms. The Coast Guard will then have three emergency response tugs available for its task.
Source: Netherlands Coastguard