The Haithabu is the new water body monitoring ship of Schleswig-Holstein’s Government-Owned Company for Coastal Protection, National Parks and Ocean Protection. It comes equipped with numerous cranes that include two PALFINGER MARINE cranes, PK 23500 M and PK 40002 M. Its home port is Kiel; its shipping route is the German coast of the Baltic Sea.
Recovery of ammunition of the Second World War along German coast of the Baltic Sea
Costing €10 million, this new construction offers the very best of nautical and technical equipment that is available for maritime purposes. With a length of 39.15 m and a width of 9.5 m, the ship is powered by two Volvo ship engines (441 kW each) and a urea injection system. The engines give the “Haithabu” a maximum speed of 12 knots or roughly 22 km/h. Apart from water body monitoring, the ship also contains a laboratory, which is used to measure the oxygen content of the water samples, determine the quantities of plankton and perform many other tasks. In addition to this, the new multi-purpose ship is also involved in explosive tasks: The new Haithabu is also to be used to clear bombs. Unexploded bombs, sea mines, discarded ammunition and other dangerous materials from the Second World War are found again and again along Germany’s coast with the Baltic Sea. The ammunition is defused by divers from the bomb squad, and this is what the PALFINGER MARINE cranes are required for. They provide the divers with the necessary tools and material so that they can safely defuse the dangerous ammunition. The defused sea mines and unexploded bombs are then brought on board with the PALFINGER MARINE cranes and transported for disposal.
Positioning of oil boom by PALFINGER MARINE cranes to protect the environment
Since environmental protection on the Baltic Sea is particularly important, the Haithabu can also be used to combat oil spills. The oil booms are positioned with the PK marine cranes. The smaller PK 23500 M is installed on the port side, and machine operator Rainer Züchting also enjoys using it in his daily work: “The crane can be controlled very accurately, and we often use it to position the gangway or move material on deck.” The PK 23500 M can lift a maximum of 10,000 kg with a working pressure of 300 bar and a range of 18.8 m. In spite of these figures, its dead weight is only 1,720 kg.
The larger PK 40002 M is installed on the starboard side and is used for the heavier jobs. This crane offers maximum manoeuvrability and can be equipped for any task with different pieces of additional equipment. Its maximum lifting capacity is 13,106 kg at a dead weight of 2,920 kg, and its maximum range is 24.8 m. The crane allows for continuous 360° rotation and can therefore manage all conceivable tasks without difficulty. Under the command of Captain Bent Ohlsen, the Haithabu completed its initial trips with flying colours and, together with the remaining crew members Chief Rüdiger Wöhm and First Petty Officer Kay Wilbrodt, will monitor the coastal waters off Germany’s coast with the Baltic Sea. Angela Trumpf checks the water samples and plankton in the laboratory.
The Haithabu was built in the SET shipyard in Tangermünde and replaces the old, smaller Haithabu, that is now to be sold.