Vikoma launches Pollution Control Workboats

Vikoma International Ltd (Vikoma), the world-leader in the design and manufacture of oil pollution control and recovery equipment, has announced the launch of three 18m steel, boom-laying workboats as the company expands its portfolio of products into this important sector of the oil spill response vessel market.

Vikoma successfully bid and were secured as main contractor for the provision of these workboats, together with a package of specialised oil containment equipment. The boats and equipment will eventually be deployed in the Black Sea, providing pollution control facilities at one of the major Russian oil terminals.

The boats were constructed by VT Halmatic, Britain’s leading commercial and military workboat builder at their Portchester yard. The vessels are twin-screw tugs built to the VT Halmatic WB18 design and configured primarily for the transportation and deployment of oil pollution containment booms and pollution control equipment.

Each boat will be delivered with a Vikoma ISO 10ft x 10ft demountable container on the aft deck, housing 250m of Vikoma Sentinel neoprene boom on a hydraulically powered reel. Sentinel booms are designed to meet the rigorous demands of an oil spill environment. They are compact and lightweight, with high buoyancy to weight ratio giving unmatched wave following capability and roll response. Neoprene Sentinel boom benefits from increased durability and longer life than conventional welded thermoplastic booms, and other Hypalon derivities.

To aid the deployment of the boom and oil pollution control equipment, the boats have been configured with a 5ton knuckle crane on the aft deck and a 4.2m Vikoma rigid inflatable boat (RIB) with diesel outboard engine. The RIB can be used for towing and positioning boom, and when not in use, will sit on a cradle on top of the Vikoma boom container.

Also installed in each boat’s engine room is a pressurised hot wash facility, with aft deck connection, to enable the deck and pollution control equipment to be cleaned after use.

The contract is one of a number of major oil pollution control equipment contracts won by Vikoma in Russia in recent years, supported locally following the establishment of Vikoma’s regional office in Moscow.