Tugs & Salvage

Hot on the heels of acquiring three Tier III tugs, Port of Antwerp’s ‘greening the fleet’ programme will now see conversion of a tug to operate on methanol fuel.

Vallianz Holdings and SeaTech Solutions have teamed up to develop an all-electric tug targeting a CAPEX increase of just 20% and lower life cycle costs.

Crowley Engineering Services is addressing future challenges head on with the design of the first fully-electric US tug with autonomous technology.

Damen Shipyards has delivered the multipurpose workboat Jamaica III to Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJAM) primarily for buoy maintenance but also with towing capabilities.

With battery power for tugs gaining interest, news arrives of Damen’s progress with Sparky and Maersk’s ordering of a battery pack for one if its most powerful anchor-handlers.

Norway’s Buksér og Berging (BB) has received its sixth vessel from Sanmar, a powerful tractor tug and the first Tier III tug from the Turkish shipbuilder.

French shipbuilder Piriou has notched up another order for its OST 30 ASD tug for operation in the French Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe.

Tasmania’s TasPorts has enhanced its towage provision with the entry into service of the country’s first Rotortug RT Force.

The International Salvage Union is reporting that Les Abeilles has had its French emergency towing vessel (ETV) contract renewed including provision of powerful replacements for two existing ETVs.

The size of modern azimuth thrusters is illustrated by Schottel’s published images of one of two such for Turkey’s Med Marine to power a Kenyan salvage tug.

Dutch Marine Contractors (DMC) has been selected by HST Marine to handle the commercial management of its newbuild Multi Cat due later this year.

With recent deliveries to Svitzer and Alfons Håkans, Robert Allan Ltd (RAL) reflects on the detail of its  TundRA class tug/icebreaker.

Tsavliris Salvage has reported another active period responding to a collision leaving two vessels locked together and assisting disabled vessels.

News of the recent tug order for HaiSea Marine with Sanmar Shipyards also marks introduction of the ElectRA, Robert Allan Ltd’s (RAL) new range of battery electric tugs.

Transport Malta has identified lessons after a tug crew member was seriously injured in a fall from his vessel to the quay.

Two tugs from Cromarty Firth-based Caledonian Towage have received machinery overhauls from marine engineering specialist Royston Ltd.

Schottel’s Sydrive-E hybrid drive system has been specified for the world’s first LNG hybrid-fuelled harbour tug for Singapore’s Sembcorp Marine.

Kotug International has established Kotug CityBarge BV an inland shipping division involving electrically powered pusher tugs along with its OptiPort automated dispatching system.

This month sees a mix of mainly European tug deliveries and orders plus interesting news about five mini-tractors for the US Navy.

The wreck of the fishing vessel ‘Nicola Faith’ (BS58), which sank off Colwyn Bay, north Wales in January, with the loss of all three crew members, has been salvaged, reports Graeme Ewens.