Piriou delivers tugs to Port of Saint-Malo

The two vessels were ordered in 2022 by towage concession holder EDEIS Ports de Saint-Malo & Cancale, and following construction at Piriou’s Vietnam facility were loaded onto a Jumbo Shipping heavy-lift vessel in Ho Chi Minh City for the sea delivery passage to France.

The pair will replace the current tug Grand Be, built in 1979 by Phoenix Shipbuilder, Beverley, UK and with this €10.3 million investment, as well as meeting the service requirements of the expanding port itself, will also extend its towing activities to marine works and barge transport.

Compact design

Piriou offers a wide range of mainly specialist vessels including tonnage for the military, offshore, fishing and expedition vessel sectors. Its towing portfolio includes assistance and emergency and shiphandling tugs, the latter comprising its ‘OST’ series of vessels along with standard Robert Allan designs built under licence.

The pair are of the new OST22 design, based on Piriou’s OST30 model but with a shorter 22m long hull (8.5m width) and will be suitable for passing through the Saint-Malo lock and meeting manoeuvrability constraints in the wet dock and outer harbour.

This tailor-made solution based on standard designs is now common practice for tug owners and port operators, replacing the ‘one size fits all’ model of previous generations, which as well as providing a vessel suited for specific operations, leads to efficiency gains, particularly as the industry contemplates the many options presented by the potential transition to alternative fuels.

The OST22 is designed for towing work from both the bow and stern and is also capable of push-pull operation. The pair for EDEIS are intended for use in the English Channel, an area where emissions are regulated, thus are fitted with exhaust treatment systems complying with IMO Tier III standards.

Main vessel characteristics include: LOA 21.95m, overall beam 8.75m and maximum draught 4.2m. They are of an ASD configuration, two 1,080kW high-speed main engines running at 2,200rpm powering azimuth thrusters with integrated hydraulic gearboxes developing 32tbp along with vessel speed 11kn. The machinery installation includes two 124kVA generators.

As well as providing port assistance, the tugs will be capable of coastal towing operations including approaching vessels in access channels thanks to its 22m length. EDEIS specified a number of modifications to meet particular areas of operation.

Modifications

These include: a 1,400m3/hr fifi system for external fire-fighting operations; a stern winch and towing hook; an aft deck crane; fenders suitable for pushing low-freeboard barges as well as assisting ferries (clear fenders leaving no marks); and an indirect refrigerator system using box coolers designed for stationary operations, covering all on-board equipment without seawater circulation.

The large aft deck allows for installation of equipment for maritime work, including the possibility of fitting a gantry crane. The duo are designed for a three-year refit period with special anti-fouling and an ultrasonic water intake protection system.

Accommodation is provided for four persons in two twin-berth cabins, which meet the latest ILO 2006 standards, particular attention paid to sound installation and air conditioning.

“We had a clear idea of what we wanted for the Port of Saint-Malo, tugs adapted to our activities and our port: manoeuvrable powerful, versatile and modern,” said Jean-Luc Schnoebelen, president EDEIS. “We are delighted to welcome these two new tugs to the Port of Saint-Malo, their arrival adds new services to our know-how.”

Vincent Faujour, president of Piriou group, said: “I want to thank EDEIS, one of Brittany’s leading port towage operators, for its trust in Piriou. The acquisition of these two tugs will meet all the requirements of the towing division of the Port of Saint-Malo, and to provide new services.”