The new multi-purpose ice class vessel LAURA was presented at the Freeport of Riga in the presence of the representatives of the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Economics, the European Commission Representation in Latvia, Latvian ports and other LVR Flote’s cooperation partners.

The Freeport of Riga Authority and its capital company SIA “LVR Flote” have acquired a new multi-purpose ice-class vessel by successfully attracting European Union co-funding under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Military Mobility Programme and receiving support from the European Executive Agency for Climate, Infrastructure and Environment (CINEA).

The acquisition of the vessel was in line with LVR Flote’s strategy aimed at modernisation of its fleet to ensure more efficient delivery of LVR Flote’s services and to comply with the company’s vision to be the highest quality provider of port technical services, thereby strengthening the competitiveness of Latvian ports. The vessel’s multifunctionality is operational for ice breaking, servicing of navigation aids, depth surveys, as well as for support in rescue and pollution response operations.

The vessel’s technical functionality and modern equipment provide opportunities for new collaborations and the development of innovative services, with particular reference to the defence sector. The ship is a dual-purpose vessel, capable of providing support both as a military supply vessel and in rescue operations, if required.

LAURA is a hybrid propulsion vessel and the first vessel in the port’s technical fleet that is capable to operate in the water area using electric propulsion. This is a significant step towards achieving environmental goals and developing maritime innovation in Latvia.

The vessel was built by Estonian shipyard Baltic Workboats AS in cooperation with Dutch shipbuilding company DAMEN Shipyards. To ensure the success of the project, LVR Flote coordinated the development of the technical specification with representatives of Latvia’s major ports, the Latvian Maritime Administration and the defence industry to ensure that the needs of all parties were met in the exploitation of the ship’s dual capabilities.

“LVR Flote purchased this vessel to comply with the company’s vision of providing comprehensive and coordinated technical services in Latvian ports. The new vessel provides an opportunity to develop new cooperation projects both in Latvia and in the Baltic Sea region. It is worth noting that the vessel has an unlimited navigation area, which makes it possible to expand our activities, contributing to the competitiveness of Latvian ports and Latvian technical services in the entire Baltic Sea region,” said Kaspars Ozoliņš, Member of the Board of LVR Flote, at the presentation of the new vessel.

It is planned to use the vessel in the framework of current LVR Flote’s services as well as for the development of the new ones, such as ground levelling, personnel and equipment transportation, military supply, emergency technical assistance, rescue and search operations. Potentially, the vessel could also be used to service wind farms and offshore communication infrastructure systems.

“I would like to emphasize that the entry of such a modern and multifunctional vessel into the fleet will open up new opportunities for our partners both in Latvian ports and in the entire Baltic Sea region. We, LVR Flote, are open to cooperation in order to jointly achieve new ambitious goals and thus jointly strengthen the competitiveness of Latvian ports and the region,” added Kaspars Ozoliņš.

The honour of the traditional ship dedication ceremony was given to the ship’s godmother Ance Krauze. The name LAURA was chosen by the LVR Flote team, following the LVR Flote tradition of giving multi-purpose vessels a name beginning with the letter “L” alongside LĪVA and LĪNE.

The total cost of the project is EUR 10 785 000 and the EU co-financing granted by CINEA amounts to 50% of the eligible project costs.