Longer slides for Norway
An all-electric ferry, currently under construction at the Fjellstrand yard in Norway, will enter service next year with Norled as the first Norwegian vessel equipped with Survitec Groups most advanced ESS MES automatic escape slide system.
The new slide can be launched and ready for passenger use with the touch of a button and without any further intervention by the crew. This is now being seen by ship operators as an important safety benefit especially when crew members may be actively engaged in dealing with other aspects of an emergency.
When it enters service the Norled-operated Zero Cat will be fitted with four of the automatic 3.8-metre Evacuation Slide Systems which each have single escape tracks and incorporate a 150-person open reversible inflatable life raft. The order also includes two further 3.8-metre Small Inflatable Slides, also with single escape tracks and a 50-person open liferaft. Survitec’s slide systems will be supplied in time for the ferry’s delivery to Norled in September.
Sales of longer escape slides to Norwegian customers have also been achieved following the recent delivery of two 7.7-metre systems for the newly completed Ryylke and Hardanger ferries. These ships were also built for Norled but at the Remontowa yard in Poland. They were the first Norwegian vessels to be fitted with Survitec’s Medium Escape Slides and are notable as being the first ferries in the world to be powered by LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas.)
The two gas-powered ships have recently entered service on a route between Stavanger and Tau in Norway. The evacuation capacity of the slides and speed of evacuation is particularly important as the ferries can carry up to 550 passengers and in the summer months they will be used to enable tourists to view the famous Preikestolen cliffs near Stavanger. With the medium height slides certified as capable of evacuating 750 passengers from the ship in 30 minutes and 400 passengers in just 17 min 40 sec, they are expected to suit many more customers in Norway’s retro-fit market.
These first sales of the 3.8 metre Evacuation Slide System into the Norwegian market now denote a significant development for Survitec which hasso far experienced great success with its Small Inflatable Slides. These are designed for vessels with lower freeboard such as fast ferries and range in length from just 1.5metres to 3.8 metres and there are now over 50 Norwegian craft equipped with them. With this solid track record, Survitec is now confident that it will see sales of its longer slides increase as ship operators recognise the advantages of their evacuation capacities when combined with the new automatic launch systems.
By Jake Frith
