Croatian Shipyard Iskra Wins €2.24 Million Firefighting Vessel Construction Contract

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Croatian shipyard Iskra Shipyard has signed a contract worth €2.24 million with the Zadar County Firefighting Association to design and build a new high-speed firefighting vessel, with a delivery period of 12 months. The 15-meter vessel will be built at Iskra's shipyard in Šibenik and, once operational, will be used for firefighting operations on the islands, ports, and coastal areas of Zadar County, while also supporting firefighting, emergency response, and civil protection services in maritime emergencies.

The project is part of the EU-funded "Resilient Archipelago" program in Zadar County, aimed at improving emergency response capabilities in Croatia's most island-dense maritime region.

The new vessel has an overall length of 15 meters, a hull length of 14.7 meters, an overall beam of 4.7 meters, a hull beam of 4.4 meters, and a draft of 1.35 meters. The propulsion system features two Volvo Penta IPS950 units, each rated at 533 kW at 2500 rpm, achieving a maximum speed of 27 knots and a range of 150 nautical miles at cruising speed. Electrical power is supplied by a 19.4 kW Sole Diesel generator, and deck equipment includes a 3.6 kW Italwinch Starplus windlass.

The vessel's design is based on Iskra's previously developed search and rescue vessel platform, with specific modifications for maritime firefighting operations. The naval architecture and design work has been entrusted to the Croatian subsidiary of American boat manufacturer Metal Shark, which has previously collaborated with Iskra on delivering search and rescue vessels for the Croatian Ministry of Health and port management authorities.

Roko Vuletić, Chairman of the Management Board of Iskra Shipyard, stated that this is a vessel developed on the basis of a successful search and rescue project, but further adapted to the specific requirements of maritime firefighting operations. Željko Šoša, President of the Zadar County Firefighting Association, stated that this vessel will enhance firefighting and civil protection capabilities across the entire archipelago. Iskra stated that Croatian suppliers and technical experts will participate in the construction program, continuing to expand the shipyard's business in the market for specialized workboats, search and rescue, and maritime emergency response vessels.