Multiple order success for Schottel

In China, Taizhou Maritime Safety Administration has a 45m, 60tbp harbour tug on order with Tongfang Jiangxin which includes Schottel Rudderpropellers type SRP 430 featuring four-bladed controllable-pitch propellers for the vessel which will be primarily engaged for vessel rescue and pollution prevention near shore as well as conventional towing operations in an area where many small fishing vessels operate.

Moving to Europe, Med Marine features regularly in MJ as both builder and operator of Robert Allan Ltd designed tugs and a RAmparts 3200 model, due for delivery in Q1 2020 will be powered by Rudderpropellers type SRP 460 CP delivering the higher bollard pull of 75 tons compared to the Chinese tug.

Rudderpropeller types 460 and 490 are a success story with over 1,000 delivered to date offering a maximum power rating of between 2,350kW and 2,550kW per engine. The first example of the SRP 460 was delivered in 1999 and has received several technical updates over its lifetime.

Marking a significant order, six multi-role tugs being built by Remontowa Shipyard in Poland for the Polish Navy, Bolko, Gniewko, Mieszko, Semko, Leszko and Przemko will each be supplied with two type SRP 360 FP ice classed Rudderpropellers.

The thrusters have 3m fixed-pitch propellers and meet Finnish-Swedish ice class IA Super standards and are driven by MTU 12V 4000 engines delivering 1,193kW each, the tugs provide a bollard pull of 35t and a free-running speed of 12kn.

When supplying thrusters for ASD tugs, the order usually involves multiples of two per vessel, for Rotortugs of course it is three per vessel so for US-based Seabulk Towing Inc the Schottel order involves a total of six for its pair of new Advanced Rotortugs entrusted to Alabama-based Master Boat Builders.

Schottel SRP 430 FP models with a propeller diameter of 2.4m are the chosen type, each driven by a 1,771kW diesel engine producing a respectable 80tbp and 14.5kn free-running speed, considered sufficient for handling ultra-large container ships. To be delivered in 2021 and 2022 they will operate alongside Seabulk’s existing fleet in the Gulf of Mexico and US east coast.

By Peter Barker