Terschelling, Netherlands
ELA Container Nederland BV, Groningen
1 special steel container
15 m²
Drying container
Outer walls in RAL 7031 (Blue Gray) and RAL 5002 (Ultramarine Blue)
Stainless steel
Smooth galvanized steel sheets
Client-specific dimensions: 4 x 3.8 x 2.6 meters, floor paneling with stainless steel floor drainage, wall, floor and door insulation, ventilation system with axial fan, smooth galvanized steel sheets on the inside walls, reinforced ceiling with brackets, special paint
Purchase
Several years
The Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM), the Dutch equivalent of the United States Coast Guard and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in the UK, has been running search and rescue operations at sea and other large bodies of water for 200 years.
With 45 rescue stations, 1,500 volunteers and 75 rescue boats, KNRM stands ready to respond 24/7, all year round and in all weather conditions. The KNRM Radio Medical Service (RMD) provides assistance to people at sea around the world. ELA Container designed and supplied a container for drying specialist equipment (survival suits) worn by volunteers carrying out rescue missions on behalf of KNRM Terschelling.
The standard container size was not suitable for this project, so KNRM specified external dimensions of 4 x 3.8 x 2.6 metres for its bespoke steel container. Additional features include floor panelling, stainless steel floor drainage, and extensive insulation across the walls, floor and doors. Smooth galvanised metal sheets were used for the interior walls of the container. The ceiling is reinforced, with specially designed brackets installed to allow heavy survival suits to be safely hung up to dry. A 400 V / 32 A power supply was also required to support the drying technology.
For this project, ELA needed to ensure that the survival suits could dry effectively, while also using materials that are weatherproof and resistant to salt water. The paint finish, in blue-grey and ultramarine blue, was carefully selected to withstand the harsh conditions of the North Sea.
The drying container was transported by lorry using a loading crane, alongside a ferry crossing between Harlingen and Terschelling. ELA’s teams were on site to install the unit professionally and hand it over to KNRM once it was fully operational.
“Our new drying container has been developed and installed in line with our specific requirements,” said Jeroen Wooning, Relationship Manager & Fundraiser at KNRM. The technology installed in the container is designed to speed up proceedings in an emergency.