Port of Hamburg gearing up to deploy new eco-friendly pilot vessel

Germany’s Port of Hamburg has welcomed its first of two new eco-friendly pilot ships, making a contribution to its goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2040.

Following the construction period of about one year at the Estonian shipyard Baltic Workboats and the completion of sea trials and crew training, the almost 18-meter-long Hamburg Pilot 3 is expected to enter service in April 2025, replacing the existing pilot ship Lotse 3.

As disclosed, the vessel was purchased after a European-wide tender, with the Newbuilding and Innovation Department of the Hamburg Fleet overseeing the procurement process in close cooperation with the Hamburg Port Pilots’ Association.

Karsten Schönewald, Managing Director of Fleet Hamburg, revealed: “When selecting the new vessel, we were looking not only for high performance but also for technical equipment. As with the existing newbuildings, we are also focusing on environmental protection with ‘Hamburg Pilot 3’: the new pilot vessel is therefore equipped with the latest exhaust gas treatment technologies and runs on synthetic GTL (gas-to-liquid) fuel.”

In addition, the ship has been designed to be able to run on climate-neutral e-fuels in the future, according to the Port of Hamburg.

Henrik Lüders, First Elder of the Hamburg Harbour Pilots’ Association, commented: “The Hamburg Harbour Pilots’ Association is pleased to have started the modernisation of the pilot launches in Hamburg with the pilot boat after the handover. It is impressive to see how quiet and low-vibration the launch is and how well the boat sits in the water. New standards have been set here for crews, pilots, the environment and safety in the port.”

To remind, in late 2024, the Port of Hamburg received its first eco-friendly hybrid police boat, marking the start of the renewal of its police boat fleet.

This 29.4-meter-long vessel has two 500 kW electric motors which, reportedly, enable a minimum of two hours of travel at seven knots on electric power alone. In addition, the boat uses synthetic eco-friendly fuel GTL.

Melanie Leonhard, Hamburg’s Senator for Economic Affairs, stressed at the time: “We are reducing emissions by using modern technologies – the new ships in the Hamburg fleet are protecting the climate by using advanced technology in the Port of Hamburg. This brings us one step closer to achieving our climate targets and reduces our dependence on fossil fuels.”