Tug delivery round-up (September 2022)

Batteries in Maritime	Autonomy at Sea	Alternative Fuels	Tugs, Towing & Salvage

Examining the growing role of batteries in maritime, questioning their green credentials while exploring industry insights, operator experiences and lessons learned from early electric vessel adoption worldwide.	Highlighting the innovators advancing subsea and maritime technology, from autonomous underwater swarms to cloud-connected assets and data-driven predictive models, reshaping how real-time conditions at sea are understood globally today.	Exploring one of the workboat sector’s dilemmas today: which emerging fuels hold the most promise in terms of cost, availability, practicality and performance? Or should we simply clean up the Black Gold?	Looking at how tugs, towing and salvage vessels are adapting to stricter regulations; contemplating new propulsion technologies and alternative fuels; and changing design strategies for one of maritime’s most demanding sectors.
Read More	Read More	Read More	Read More

Seawork 15th - 17th June 2027	Speed@Seawork 14th June 2027	Seawork Conferences

The 28th edition of Europe’s largest commercial marine and workboat exhibition provides businesses the opportunity to showcase their services, equipment, vessels and supplies to an international audience.	Speed@Seawork on 14th June in Cowes offers a sector specific event that showcases fast vessels operating at high speed for security interventions and Search & Rescue.	Taking place at the annual Seawork Exhibition in Southampton, UK from 15–17 June 2027, Seawork Conferences deliver a varied programme of sessions featuring expert speakers addressing the latest topical issues in the commercial marine industry.
Visit the Seawork Website	Speed@Seawork on the Seawork Website	View on Seawork

This month we explore five notable tug deliveries with European connections including a US-built Rotortug, a design with roots in Dutch expertise.

Two of the deliveries are on the way from Damen Shipyards Group and first to examine is Plis Fos, an ASD 2813 tug and one of Damen’s larger vessels, to an order from SOMARA for operation at the Port of Fort de France on the Caribbean island of Martinique. At time of writing Plis Fos was passing Honolulu on its delivery voyage on its own keel from Damen’s Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam to Martinique, a distance of around 20,000km. SOMARA’s confidence in choosing Damen was based on its satisfaction with a recently delivered Multi Cat.

'Plis Fos' will be 'the strongest tug in the Caribbean' (Damen)

Plis Fos will be ‘the strongest tug in the Caribbean’ (Damen)

The new tug will handle the largest ships using the port, and with a length of 27.59m on a beam of 12.93m provides a bollard pull of approximately 85 tonnes ahead and 80 tonnes astern via Caterpillar main engines developing 5,050kW in total, driving 3m diameter propellers turning in nozzles.

Reducing the environmental impact of tugs is important now with new fleet additions, a requirement particularly relevant in Caribbean waters, and Plis Fos’s specification includes exhaust gas after-treatment, making it IMO Tier III compliant. The inclusion of an aft winch indicates the vessel’s capability for offshore towing and ship salvage, Damen saying it will be the “strongest and most modern tug in the Caribbean”.

Another similar 28m tug delivery from Song Cam Shipyard has seen the TSM Odet, an ASD Tug 2811 design delivered to Thomas Services Maritimes (TSM) for operation at Séte on the French Mediterranean coast and another delivery under its own power involving a voyage of 50 days, consuming just over 3m³ of fuel per day.

Caterpillar main engines and Kongsberg thrusters featuring slipping clutches provide 60 tonnes bollard pull and as with SOMARA’s new addition, TSM includes sea towage (with aft deck winch) as well as port and terminal operations in its capabilities.

TSM Odet also benefits from Damen’s digital Alarm, Monitoring & Control System, which integrates data from on-board systems connected by sensors and controls, connectivity allowing for remote monitoring ashore.

A winterisation package is included to increase overall energy efficiency and the vessel joins two other Damen vessels in TSM’s fleet, the 2021 delivered RSD 2513 Tugs TSM Rouen and TSM Honfleur.

MJ has been reporting regularly on Svitzer’s gradual build-up of its tugs operating for the Suez Canal Authority, and the latest addition to the fleet Svitzer Suez 3 has been delivered by Turkey’s Med Marine. This brings the number of Svitzer tugs serving the canal to six, three with Suez and three with Port Said suffixes in their name based at each end of the canal.

Svitzer Suez 3 is a MED-A2885 design based on Robert Allan Ltd’s (RAL) RAstar 2800 marque. Classed with Lloyd’s Register, its notation includes Escort Tug and Fire-fighting Ship 1; its vital statistics include LOA 28.4m, beam moulded 13m and design draught 4.1m. Caterpillar 3516C main engines develop 4,200kW in total, delivering a bollard pull of 75 tonnes and speed approximately 12kn.

'Saam Condor' and 'Albatros' are products of Turkey's Sanmar Shipyards (Sanmar)

Saam Condor and Albatros are products of Turkey’s Sanmar Shipyards (Sanmar)

Another prolific Turkish builder, Sanmar Shipyards has reported delivery of the RAL-designed RAmparts 2400SX tug Albatros to SAAM Towage which will operate out of the port of Callao, Peru alongside its previously delivered sistership Saam Condor. Pablo Caceres, technical director of SAAM Towage, said: “Following the experience with our previous acquisitions, SAAM Towage is certain that we will not only exceed our clients’ service expectations, but at the same time deliver our crews a seaworthy and safe vessel to operate.”

Rotortug was established in 1996 by Rotterdam-based Kotug International, who in 2012 teamed up with Robert Allan Ltd to develop the Advanced Rotortug. Robert Allan has reported delivery of Hermes, the second of these impressive tugs joining sistership Nike to US-based Seabulk Towing and built by Master Boat Builders of Alabama.

Rotortugs feature three thrusters (two forward and one aft) providing precise manoeuvrability and enhanced redundancy. The 29.8m long vessel provides 87.4 short tonnes bollard pull with Jonrie Intertech supplying a single-drum winch forward and double-drum example aft.

Hermes has fire-fighting capabilities and accommodation is provided for a crew of up to eight and the new addition brings the number of ART Rotortugs in Seabulk’s fleet to five.