Posted on July 1, 2021
This month sees a mix of mainly European tug deliveries and orders plus interesting news about five mini-tractors for the US Navy.
Aalst, the Netherlands-based Neptune Marine has delivered a EuroCarrier tug/workboat to Jifmar Offshore Service’s Scottish subsidiary North West Marine. Jif Mairi is a EuroCarrier 2409, a variant of the 2209 with the 14tbp vessel modified to the client’s specific requirements for supporting its fish farm activities while still retaining standard role capabilities. Removable wooden bow doors are included along with upgraded fendering and ladder arrangements on the starboard side with deck equipment including a 50t anchor-handling/towing winch, 10t tugger winch and two Heila cranes. Accommodation for the BV-classed vessel includes three ‘properly sized cabins.’
Italian towage operator Fratelli Neri has completed its procurement programme for a trio of Damen RSD 2513 ‘always bow first’ tugs with the naming of Romito, Calafuria and Gabriella Neri. All three Italian-flagged vessels are fifi1 equipped with notation including escort, oil recovery and salvage and while the first two have a bollard pull of 70t, Gabriella Neri offers slightly more power at 80tbp.
Turkey’s Sanmar Shipyards is seldom out of the news and following last month’s reporting of delivery of the RAL TundRA 3200 design Selene to Finland’s Alfons Håkans, vessel number two, built as Sanmar Tundra II is now in Håkans care reportedly to be named Helios. The pair is Sanmar’s first venture into heavy ice-breaking tugs and now part of its standard portfolio while for Alfons Håkans these high-specification vessels will enhance its fleet of over 40 conventional, ASD and tractor tugs.
Tugs come in all sizes and along with Kotug’s CityBarge mentioned elsewhere in this column another that falls into this category sees Cummins providing interesting details of five tugs with the designation ‘work boat docking’ built by Modutech Marine of Tacoma, Washington and now in operation with the US Navy. Providing support to naval installations these ‘Swiss Army knives’ assist vessels including submarines for mooring and drydocking, operating security barriers and providing other push-pull services for port equipment.
The rectangular-shaped tugs are just 7.62m by 4.27m but with a requirement for high maneuverability have a relatively deep draught of 2.4m. A single 450hp Cummins QSM11 engine drives a forward-mounted Schottel SRP150 azimuth thruster providing 4.5tbp and protected by a heavy pipe guard, manoeuverability enhanced by hull-mounted fins. Removable push-knees are fitted forward and while they normally operate with a crew of two there is room for an additional five passengers.
Damen recently reported orders (all vessel types) more than doubling to a record €8bn relative to year-end 2019. Its tug building activities are contributing to this including the awarding of a contract from Australia-based Engage Marine for three ASD Tug 3212s, a marque recently upgraded and designated by Damen as one of its ‘next generation’ series described as taking ‘an evolutionary step forwards in terms of safety, sustainability, reliability and efficiency.’ The 85tbp tugs, due in Q3 this year are on the back of a ‘non-exclusive towage licence’ awarded to Engage Marine by North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation for provision of towage services at Port of Abbot Point.
More Australian success for Damen and another reference for a ‘next generation’ tug comes with the order for an ASD Tug 2312 from South32 GEMCO to support its manganese mining operation in Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory. Modifications will include installation of a push-bow, CCTV, a crane and a second towing line and anchor. Around six ASD Tug 2312s are now in service globally including in Europe with a substantial stock-build list in the pipeline from Damen’s Vietnam facility and delivery of this example is due by October this year.
Finally, last month mention was made of an unknown number of tugs to be built by Sanmar for operation at LNG Canada’s new export facility in British Columbia. Further information now confirms the order involves two LNG-fueled RAL RAstar 4000DF escort tugs and three first-of-class ElectRA 2800 battery-electric harbour tugs (see elsewhere in this issue). The 40m RAstar examples will provide over 100tbp and generate indirect escort forces of approximately 200t and will be the most powerful ASD escort tugs on Canada’s west coast with Sanmar proudly adding that they will ‘rank among the world’s highest-performing escort tugs.’
