Posted on July 5, 2023
Wilson Sons latest escort tugs are the most powerful and have the lowest emissions in Brazil. WS Rosalvo is the third of the Brazilian owner’s latest newbuilds and has been assisting large ships visiting the Port of Açu, São João da Barra near Rio de Janeiro, since its arrival 27 April.
This reverse stern drive (RSD) tug was built at Wilson Sons’ own shipyard in Guarujá, in São Paulo state, to Damen’s RSD 2513 design with more than 90 tonnes of bollard pull and a FiFi1 certified fire-fighting system that can pump out 2,400 m³/hr of water and foam mixed.
It is a 24-m escort tug with a beam of 13 m that is capable of harbour, coastal and offshore towage.
WS Rosalvo has an exhaust treatment system to remove NOx gases and comply with IMO Tier III emissions standards. Wilson Sons says this new tug emits 75% less NOx than conventional tugboats, helping to improve air quality in ports where it operates.
The twin fins in the hull design mean the tugboat consumes up to 14% less fuel, emits lower CO2 volumes, has improved seaworthiness and increase drag capacity during manoeuvres, meaning propulsion does not have to work so hard to achieve the towage requirements.
There is greater cushioning and turning moments, reduced hull interaction of the skeg and fins with thrusters and less capsizing movement, improving crew safety.
The hull has a high freeboard at the bow and stern-reducing water loading during manoeuvres. It is painted with an anti-fouling, tin-free, self-polishing coating for five years of operation.
Two diesel engines drive two Kongsberg Maritime azimuth thrusters with fixed-pitch propellers of 300 cm diameter. Box and keel coolers reduce engine cooling maintenance.
The deck is free of obstacles and there is a layout for safe working conditions. The escort render winch is built into the deck to prevent water build up and corrosion spots, while the cruciform has high load capacity and the structure is designed to reduce tow rope wear.
The wheelhouse has safety glass with high impact resistance for great visibility with reduced blind spots, while the superstructure has an integrated chimney for safe manoeuvring. The light mast can be folded down for maintenance.
WS Rosalvo followed two similar RSD tugs with IMO Tier III-compliant propulsion. WS Centaurus, delivered July 2022, and WS Orion delivered October 2022, operate in Ponta da Madeira and Itaqui.
Wilson Sons expects the Guarujá shipyard to complete another escort tug during Q4 2023 and two more in 2024 as part of its modernisation strategy with a fleet consisting of 82 tugs.
“WS Rosalvo demonstrated the importance of innovation and sustainability for Wilson Sons,” says Wilson Sons executive director of towage Márcio Castro.
“It is reaffirming the company’s trail-blazing spirit in the Brazilian industry, with modern tugboat building and operations, which are increasingly needed to meet the growing demand in ports for more powerful tugs to attend large ships more sustainably.”
With the delivery of WS Rosalvo, Wilson Sons reached the mark of 151 vessels built in its shipyards. These tugboats were built with financial support from the Merchant Marine Fund, with the Brazilian Development Bank as a financial agent.
Wilson Sons and Porto do Açu started collaborating on harbour operations in 2016 and opened the first innovation hub dedicated to port and maritime solutions in Latin America, Cubo Maritime & Port, in 2022.
Wilson Sons group participates in the operation of more than 50% of all ship berthings in Brazilian ports.
“We strive to understand our clients’ needs to optimise their port operations by building upon our expertise and also the technology of our tugboats,” says Wilson Sons commercial director of towage Elísio Dourado. “With WS Rosalvo, we intend to add value and increase the productivity of operations in a market that demands an increasing number of sustainable projects.”
