NEOM recently took delivery of a new hybrid all-aluminium workboat built in China by French-run shipbuilder ODC Marine.  Eejeeya will be operated out of NEOM’s marina facilities on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast. It will be used on a range of duties including operating as a service vessel for the superyachts owned by the marina’s clients.

The propulsion setup consists of two FPT diesel engines that each deliver 243 kW (330 hp), two 20kW electric motors, and a 63kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack.

ODC Marine said that, in electric mode, the workboat can operate autonomously for three hours at a speed of 5.5 knots whereas when using diesel propulsion, it can achieve a top speed of 18 knots and a cruising speed of 12 knots under load.

“We have significantly reduced the acoustic impact of our electric propulsion,” said ODC Marine. “We worked on the transmission, pumps, and fans, and the result is spectacular—like being on a sailboat.”

Read the full story at Baird Maritime