RNLI strikes deal for fleet of Ineos Grenadiers

Ineos Automotive has struck a five-year fleet deal to supply the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) following intensive coastal trials with the Grenadier.

It will become the official vehicle of RNLI lifeboats and support the RNLI by helping their volunteer lifesavers launch to those who are in difficulty in the water and in need of their help.

Over the duration of the partnership, 20 Grenadiers will be deployed at certain locations around the UK and Ireland to support the charity’s courageous volunteers in their lifesaving role.

As well as undertaking regular duties at RNLI lifeboat stations, the Grenadier’s main role will be to position, launch and recover the RNLI’s D-class lifeboat at selected stations.

Highly manoeuvrable and able to operate close to shore, the inflatable D-Class has for the past 60 years been the charity’s workhorse, saving over 30, 000 lives and aiding over 160,000 people.

Jamie Chestnutt, RNLI director for engineering and supply, said: “As a charity which relies solely on donations, support such as this from Ineos Automative enables the RNLI to continue to save lives at sea, while also providing our operational volunteers with the best equipment available.”

Lynn Calder, CEO of Ineos Automotive, added: “We’re very proud to support the RNLI, an incredible charity that performs round-the-clock life-saving work in very difficult conditions. Its volunteers rely on vehicles every day, both boats and cars, so this is a powerful endorsement of the Grenadier that it’s able to meet the rigorous standards required for such vital frontline work.”

As well as providing the RNLI with its Grenadier, the partnership will see Ineos support the charity to spread their vital water safety messages to new audiences.

It also provides the opportunity to collaborate on future technology to sustain the RNLI’s lifesaving efforts now and into the future.