Exclusive | Hong Kong splashes out HK$125 million on what may be world’s biggest self-righting fireboat, which can recover from capsize in 6 seconds
- Insider tells Post that boat’s recent tests at Taiwanese port, which included capsizing, went well
- ‘It will greatly enhance and strengthen our maritime search and rescue capability in the rough sea conditions of eastern Hong Kong waters,’ Fire Services Department says
Hong Kong has splashed out HK$125 million (US$16 million) on what its builder claims is the world’s biggest self-righting fireboat, designed to recover from a complete capsize in as little as six seconds, the Post has learned.
The new fireboat could arrive in the city as early as June after it finishes undergoing testing at a Taiwanese shipyard, according to an insider.
“You can’t go out to save people if your boat has capsized and you become a rescue target yourself in choppy seas,” the source said, adding tests had gone smoothly.
“So Hong Kong’s Fire Services Department requested this self-righting function to ensure fire and rescue operations can continue even in severe conditions.”
A second source said: “The [self-righting] feature provides enhanced protection to firefighters on board and also increases the vessel’s ability to navigate in adverse weather conditions.”
One of the sources said the new vessel, 35 to 40 metres (131 feet) long and weighing about 200 tonnes, was believed by the shipbuilder to be the largest fireboat in the world able to self-right.
The vessel, however, will still need several months for trials and crew training before it is commissioned into service.
Videos posted on social media showed the boat undergoing tests at Suao Port in Taiwan’s Yilan county.
One clip shows the boat righting itself in seconds, with the footage going viral online and being widely shared by Taiwanese television news outlets.
The videos also show the vessel bearing the name “Fireboat 12” in English and traditional Chinese characters and its livery matching that used by Hong Kong’s fire service fleet.
Lungteh confirmed to the Post that the footage of the trial run was authentic.
A Government Logistics Department notice said the contract for the fireboat was awarded to Lungteh Shipbuilding in June 2020.
The vessel’s tender specifications said it should have an inherent self-righting capability, with a positive righting lever within the range of zero to 180 degrees.
“The vessel shall be capable of rolling back to an upright position from a heeled position anywhere in the range of roll motion,” the document read.
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The tender requirements stipulated the delivery of the vessel should be made within 26 months of the contract date.
The boat should have been delivered in 2022, but the construction and delivery schedule was extended because of the coronavirus crisis.
“The approved funding for Fireboat 12 is HK$125 million,” the Fire Services Department added.
The department said there was a trend of increased emergency incidents in the eastern waters of the city over the past few years.
“It will greatly enhance and strengthen our maritime search and rescue capability in the rough sea conditions of eastern Hong Kong waters,” it added.
The department said the new fireboat would provide the “utmost occupational safety for fireboat crew during operation in extremely adverse sea conditions”.
Officials added another new fireboat and two new command vessels were expected to be delivered to Hong Kong as replacements for Fireboat 2 and Command Boats 1 and 2 over the next few years.
But they did not reveal the value or specifications of the three new vessels.
At least two of the department’s present fleet were also built by Lungteh.
Taiwanese media have hailed the latest vessel as a point of pride.
Lungteh, founded in 1979, secured its first Taiwanese government contract in 2012 to produce naval vessels, the first private yard to do so.
The shipyard specialises in medium-fast vessels and has built a variety of craft for Hong Kong government departments, including fire services, the marine police and customs.
