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Mid-Range Towage Shortage Continues
01 Jan 2006
There is still a shortage of tugs suitable for long haul towage in the 60 tons to 80 tons bollard pull range according to the UK's Anchor Marine Transportation.
The Surrey based barge operator reports that these middle range workhorses for barge tows in the offshore and transportation industries, particularly for work in North Europe and West Africa, are still in short supply. There is currently an increasing demand for tugs for barge tows from both the US Gulf and Europe to West Africa and operators are finding it difficult to provide suitable tonnage with the necessary bunker capacity. At present , no one is building to meet this demand.
The shortage leaves operators such as AMT facing the more expensive hire of larger long range tugs designed to tow the likes of FPSOs or look to older tugs. AMT acknowledges the availability of larger ocean going tugs has improved recently, with newbuildings delivered to Fairmount in Holland and Harms in Germany. The latter has recently taken delivery of the 9,000bhp, 108 tons bollard pull Primus and has ordered two 19,000hp, 200 tons bollard pull tugs for delivery in July and October of this year.
AMT's parent company, Augustea of Italy, will take delivery of their new 10,800bhp, 130 tons bollard pull anchor handling tug Carlo Magno in March, a vessel whose arrival will be covered fully in a subsequent issue of MJ. The Carlo Magno is noteworthy for having been designed to run on heavy fuel and with a large bunker capacity. With a difference in fuel costs of up to US$250 per ton between MGO and IF180, these features could provide a significant competitive advantage for Augustea.
MJ Information No: 21409
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