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The winner was a consortium of Finnish companies (Uudenkaupungin Tyovene and Telesilta). The VLG management has appealed against the military decision on the results of the international competition: the carousel of the courts is already turning.
Disappointed by the results of the competition
LK in the tender for the army needs 40 million. Baltic Shipyard, a subsidiary of VLG, which is owned by the Estonian capital, was involved in the construction of the multipurpose ship. Following the announcement of the results, their representatives had serious doubts about the design data of the winning Finnish companies and the functionality of the proposed vessel.
“From the drawings we can see that the ship’s deck equipment is arranged in such a way that it cannot be used for different rescue work at the same time. This significantly reduces the capabilities of the multifunctional ship offered by the Finns, ”said Arnoldas Šileika, General Manager of Occidental Shipyard.
VLG management filed a civil claim with the Vilnius Regional Court (VAT) regarding the results of the tender for the purchase of a new pollution rescue and settlement vessel.
The VAT rejected VLG’s claim, but the largest shipbuilding company in the Baltic States will not give up: it filed another complaint with the Lithuanian Court of Appeal regarding the already unfavorable results of the tender.
The designers of the company operating in the port of Klaipeda claim that the Finnish project is not exceptional – they used the same data twelve years ago – they built a rescue ship “Kindral Kurvits” for the Estonian army.
Aluminum: the wrong material?
VLG specialists believe that the IAS did not adequately evaluate in its decision both the terms of the public procurement tender of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the technical aspects of the tenders of the consortium of Finnish companies recognized as winners.
The appeal before the Court of Appeal drew attention to the functionality of the boat proposed by the Finns, which was designed so that the different rescue and search operations take 16 hours longer than other modern boats of the same purpose that do not need to return. . to shore to change teams.
He also doubts that such a lifeboat, built on the basis of a project proposed by a consortium of Finnish companies, can adequately extinguish fires in ports, on the high seas, without endangering the ship itself and its crew.
“The Finnish proposal to install the aluminum ship’s superstructure contradicts the terms of LASCO’s public procurement. The melting point of aluminum is much lower than that of steel. Aluminum hull elements are rarely used in boats. life jackets adapted for fire fighting, ”explained A.Šileika.
Repairs will require more funds
According to the technical conditions of the LASCO tender, the lifeboat must be repaired later so that it is not necessary to drill holes in the hull. The Finnish project does not specify whether there will be special hatches on the ship they propose, so it would be necessary to cut the hull during maintenance, according to my VLG specialists.
“The cuts would have to be welded, painted, depending on the weather conditions, from a few days to a week or even more. Repair costs would increase. Who will ensure that the special purpose vessel, which is obliged to sail to the accident site at sea as soon as it receives a signal, does not stop at the pier under repair at that time? ”, Commented representatives of VLG.
“Such a ship would require more costs for users, but more importantly, it could not perform its functions properly and efficiently without ensuring the safety of people at sea. The VAT decision to reject our claim without evaluating the technical arguments that cast doubt on specialists is simply incomprehensible ”, A. Šileika is surprised.
Announced an international competition
The Lithuanian Navy (LKJP) is currently using the Šakiai rescue ship. It was handed over to the military by the Klaipėda State Port Authority 11 years ago, after the amendments to the Safe Transport Law went into effect.
Later, the LKJP also assumed the state functions of search, rescue, accident elimination, liquidation of pollutants spilled at sea. The army has been saying for many years that Lithuania needs to buy a new ship for such operations.
The old rescue ship “Šakiai” that was in the port of Klaipeda was launched for 35 years. He knew how to swim, but in fact he has already lived, he does not meet modern requirements.
More than a year ago, LASCO announced an international tender for the construction of a new ship.
Order of strategic importance
In their complaints, the Klaipėda shipbuilders pointed out that the Finnish consortium’s project exceeded the technical conditions of the tender. They have reasonable doubts about the objectivity of the LASCO tender, its transparency and whether the selected vessel will be able to adequately perform the functions assigned to it ”.
“According to the same Finnish project, the first maritime search and rescue ship Tursas was built in 1986. After that, another similar ship” Uisku “was launched. Lithuania can pay dearly for a forty-year serial project handed over to the army.” sneered A. Šileika.
VLG representatives wonder why, according to them, the LASCO public procurement tender, which is relevant not only for Lithuania’s international obligations, its participation in the NATO Alliance, but also for the security of the whole country, it still lacks the necessary care.
“We have appealed to the courts also due to the fact that after building hundreds of boats of various purposes in Klaipeda, we feel a moral obligation to take care of the safety of Lithuania and its people,” stated the VLG leadership.
The boat “Šakiai” is the heritage of fishermen
During the Soviet era, the 55-meter-long, 10.5-meter-wide and 4.8-meter deep Šakiai was built in Yaroslavl, Russia, a former medium-sized trawler that belonged to the Lithuanian Jūra fishing fleet.
After the bankruptcy of Jūra, the ship was handed over to the Klaipėda State Port Authority, carried out search and rescue operations for more than ten years and eliminated the consequences of accidents in the Baltic Sea.
Fifteen years ago, when the forests of Smiltyne were ravaged by a fire called the fire of the century, Šakiai stood by the quay in Alksnyne and constantly supplied water to firefighters.
Šakiai participated in the spilled oil product collection operations at the Būtingė terminal and rescued four soldiers after the Mi-8 helicopter crashed in the Baltic Sea near Nemirseta.
Where it was broken, there it was repaired
Even the spent ship Šakiai continues to participate in international Balex-Delta oil spill recovery operations and the Baltic Eye search and rescue exercise.
The specialists who inspected the boat four years ago stated that the condition of the hull was still good, suitable for use until the next scheduled repair. They did not predict the end of the life cycle of power lines, pipes and other equipment.
The army solves technical problems on the spot: where the ship’s equipment has broken down, it is repaired there.
“A new multifunctional lifeboat is needed, because the ‘Šakiai’ equipment is already obsolete, it no longer allows to react quickly and efficiently, to carry out tasks,” said representatives of the Ministry of National Defense.
