The “P-01 Zibens” patrol boat owned by Latvian National Armed Forces Training Management Command was sold at an auction organised by “Valsts nekustamie īpašumi” (VNĪ) for EUR 30 371, according to information from “izsoles.ta.gov.lv”.
The initial price at the auction was EUR 25 000 (excluding VAT).
The payment for the purchase must be completed within two weeks’ time.
The government issued permission for VNĪ to auction off the ship in May 2024.
Vessel has no book value. It has been used for a long time for training the trainees of the Naval Training Center, but its technical condition is characterized as “poor” and the rebuilding of the hull of the ship was not ruled as cost-effective, the statement said.
In 2019, a project on the possible disposal of the patrol ship and its conversion into an object of interest was supported and started conceptually from the side of the Ministry of Defence, but the project was ultimately suspended in the end.
Taking into account the high costs that were identified in connection with the lifting and conversion of the ship into an object of interest, as well as the fact that the ship is no longer usable for the needs of the army, a conceptual decision was made to move the issue of the seizure of the patrol ship to the Cabinet of Ministers.
The auction included a condition that the future owner is to transport, strip and decontaminate the ship in a safe and environmentally friendly manner in accordance with the laws and regulations governing environmental protection.