Federal Republic procures multi-purpose vessels with innovative propulsion – Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek designs and accompanies award procedures

The Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration is set to obtain two new special vessels powered by liquefied natural gas for emergency maritime services in the North and Baltic Seas. On behalf of the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration, the Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute commissioned shipyard ABEKING & RASMUSSEN to design and supply the two vessels at a total amount of EUR 404 million. Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek advised the Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute during the complex award procedure and accompanied the negotiations.
 
The Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration will use the two multi-purpose vessels for cleaning up oil and chemical spills and for firefighting at sea as well as for emergency towing of damaged ships. As of 2023, the vessels will successively replace the “Scharhörn” (Baltic Sea) and “Mellum” (North Sea) models. The order also includes the option for a third multi-purpose vessel to replace the “Neuwerk” (also North Sea).
 
“Following LNG-powered research vessel ATAIR, the federal government is now regularly relying on environmentally friendly liquid gas propulsion for multi-purpose vessels as well; the vessels will even receive the “Blue Angel” eco-label,” said Ute Jasper, Lawyer and Team Leader at Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek. “The award procedure placed top priority on ensuring the gas-powered vessels’ safety, including during operations in flammable and explosive environments,” emphasized Kirstin van de Sande, Lawyer responsible for public procurement law in the procedure. “For this reason, the contractor is contractually bound to comply with the technical specifications and safety standards of the BAW building regulations,” added Christopher Marx, Lawyer responsible for contract drafting. 
 
The “Public Sector & Public Procurement” department has been one of the market leaders in public procurement law for years. Its lawyers hold top spots in German and international lawyer rankings. Since 1991, they have advised on awards, restructuring, large-scale projects, and cooperations in the public sector and have accompanied several hundred large-scale projects of federal, state, and local authorities and their subsidiaries with a total volume in excess of EUR 40 billion without any procedure having been successfully challenged to date.
 
Dr. Ute Jasper is one of the most renowned lawyers for procurement and infrastructure projects in the public sector. She advises federal and state ministries, municipalities, and businesses, particularly on innovative and complex projects. Ute Jasper heads Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek's “Public Sector & Public Procurement” department. For years, she has been ranked number 1 with her team in JUVE Handbook of Commercial Law Firms. According to “Law Firms in Germany,” she is the “premier contact on the market” for infrastructure. In October 2016, she received the JUVE Award for Regulated Industries with her team.
 
Kirstin van de Sande, Partner, is a member of the “Public Sector & Public Procurement” practice group with a focus on designing and implementing complex public procurement procedures.
 
Dr. Christopher Marx, Partner and member of the “Public Sector & Public Procurement” practice group, is a specialist for the drafting of contracts under civil law in complex public procurement procedures.
 
The press release of the Directorate-General Waterways and Shipping is found here.

^{image source: ABEKING & RASMUSSEN Schiffs- und Yachtwerft SE}