Towlines (March 2022)

UK tug owner Carmet Tug Company has ordered a new workboat, its first new multi-role vessel for ten years.

The vessel will be a 20m long EasyWorker class workboat built by Dutch shipyard Groeneveldt Marine Construction. Volvo Penta engines will develop 1,200bhp and deck equipment will include a crane and 40t anchor-handling winch. Due for delivery in July the design has been adapted to meet the specific requirements of Carmet who operate a fleet of 10 tugs and workboats including as the sole towage contractor for the Manchester Ship Canal.

Commencing what promises to be a notable quartet of tugs delivered in 2022, Grandweld Shipyard has laid the keels of the first two RAL TRAktor 2700-Z tugs to be operated by Kuwait Port Authority.

Ordered by Specialities Construction for General Trading and Contracting Company (SCC) the keel-laying ceremony was attended by Grandweld general manager Jamal Abki; SCC CEO, Mubarak Al Woqayan and BV class representatives in Dubai. The four tugs will be equipped for multiple tasks and it is hoped MJ will return and examine these tugs in more detail when deliveries commence.

GPS Marine Contractors has won its second Green Apple Environmental Best Practice Award of the past four years.

The Green Apple Transport Sector Gold Award was for Rochester UK-based GPS Marine’s work transporting materials by barge on the London Tideway Tunnel project and its adoption of renewable fuels reducing fleet emissions. The change to 100% hydrogen treated vegetable oil for its tugs has reduced carbon emissions by 90% and created significant NOx and particulate emission reductions while eliminating SOx emissions completely. GPS operates a diverse fleet of tugs from Shoalbusters to support launches along with numerous barges, pontoons and dredging vessels.

Tug builder Uzmar reports it has become the first Turkish shipyard to be certified to ISO 50001 standards by Lloyd’s Register.

The certification covers Uzmar’s energy management programme and joins its ISO 14001 environmental and ISO 9001 quality standard collection. Congratulating employees for their active engagement throughout the entire energy journey, Noyan Altug, Uzmar CEO added: “Our energy reduction measures at Uzmar have also been positively received by visitors to the shipyard. They are aware that their ships are fuel-efficient, and they can see how environmental sensitivity is woven into the Uzmar culture and shipbuilding process.”