Griffon sells hovercraft to COC for North Caspian offshore support role

UK’s Griffon Marine has sold its 130-passenger hovercraft, Solent Express, to Kazakhstan’s Caspian Offshore Construction (COC).

The hovercraft will join COC’s existing fleet of icebreakers, tugs, accommodation, and specialised vessels supporting oil and gas activities in challenging marine environments. Its amphibious design allows operations across shallow waters, mudflats, and ice, in temperatures ranging from -35°C to +40°C.

Caspian Eagle will join sister craft Caspian Falcon - formerly Suna X - which has served the COC fleet in the region for the past nine years.

COC provides emergency standby, personnel transport, and evacuation services across the Caspian and Middle East. The addition of Caspian Eagle is expected to enhance rapid-response capability in remote areas.

“We are delighted to welcome the second of these highly capable BHT-130 hovercraft into our fleet. Their proven performance and versatility make them ideally suited to our operations in the North Caspian Sea, where reliability and adaptability are critical to ensuring the safety of offshore personnel,” said COC director general Timur Sharapiev.

Originally part of Griffon’s BHT-130 series, Solent Express previously operated on the Hovertravel route, carrying passengers from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight. The craft is just under 30 metres long, with a 16-tonne payload and speeds exceeding 40 knots, powered by two MTU diesel engines for propulsion and two MTU engines for lift.

“Hovercraft are ultimately adaptable platforms, capable of operating in an extraordinary range of environments—from inland passenger ferry services to supporting complex oil and gas operations,” noted Griffon Marine chief executive, Mark Downer.

The sale underlines the ongoing potential for repurposing UK-built vessels to meet evolving demands across offshore and maritime sectors.

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