Contract Signed for Construction of Firefighting Vessel for Zadar Archipelago
Šibenik shipyard has signed a contract with the Zadar County Firefighting Association, with the vessel expected to be delivered within 12 months.
Šibenik shipyard has signed a contract with the Zadar County Firefighting Association, with the vessel expected to be delivered within 12 months.
A contract for the planning, construction, and delivery of a new firefighting vessel for the Zadar County area has been signed between Šibenik's Iskra shipyard and the Zadar County Firefighting Association. The signatories were Željko Šoša, head of the Firefighting Association, and Roko Vuletić, who leads Iskra shipyard, with a deadline of 12 months for completion and delivery of the vessel.
According to eZadar and HRT, the contract is valued at €2.24 million including VAT. Forbes Croatia reports the amount as €2.24 million plus VAT, while Šibenski Kanal specifies €2,243,750 including VAT. The project is being carried out under the program "Resilient Archipelago: Development and Enhancement of Resilience in the Island Area of Zadar County," funded by the European Union.
The total value of the "Resilient Archipelago" project amounts to nearly €5.92 million, of which just over €5 million is secured from EU funds. The Municipality of Pašman leads the project, with partners including the ZADRA NOVA Agency, the Municipality of Pakoštane, the Municipality of Sali, and the Zadar County Firefighting Association. The planned completion date for the project is March 21, 2027.
"The vessel will be intended for firefighting operations on islands, in ports, and along the coast, as well as providing support to firefighting and emergency services during extraordinary situations. Its construction will further strengthen the capabilities of the civil protection and firefighting system in one of Croatia's most indented archipelagos," stated Šoša.
According to Šibenski Kanal, the vessel is 15 meters long overall, with a hull length of 14.7 meters, a beam of 4.7 meters, and a draft of 1.35 meters. Propulsion will be provided by two Volvo Penta IPS950 engines, each with 533 kilowatts of power, and the maximum speed will be 27 knots. The cruising range at service speed is 150 nautical miles. It is equipped with a Sole Diesel generator of 19.4 kW and an Italwinch Starplus anchor winch of 3.6 kW.
The new vessel represents a further development of the SAR project that Iskra has already delivered to the Ministry of Health and harbor master's offices. The design has been entrusted to the Croatian branch of the American company Metal Shark, with which Iskra has successfully collaborated on previous projects.
"We are particularly proud that Iskra was chosen for the realization of this project. This is a vessel developed on the foundations of the successful SAR project, already delivered to the Ministry of Health and harbor master's offices, but further adapted to the specific requirements of maritime firefighting interventions. This is a confirmation of our development and production capabilities and another step in strengthening the Croatian shipbuilding industry in the segment of specialized work and intervention vessels," said Vuletić.
In addition to the procurement of the firefighting vessel, the project also includes the construction of a multipurpose firefighting and community facility on Pašman, the improvement of fire access roads in the Municipality of Sali, and the equipping of emergency services on Vrgada.
