Foss Maritime is progressing with construction of its second new, US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Tier 4-compliant, azimuth stern drive (ASD) tug and has two more tugs in the pipeline
US-owned Foss, part of the Saltchuk Marine family of companies, already has the first of the lower-emissions escort tugs in operation, assisting ships into US West Coast ports.
The company has said it expects a second escort tug and two others will be delivered this year, taking the total to four.
The three tugs still under construction are being built by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders in Freeland, Washington, in the US’s Pacific Northwest region.
The Z-drive tractor tugs are being built as ASD-90 tugs with ABS’ Loadline certification, to Jensen Maritime’s Valor design, as well as to US Coast Guard’s Subchapter M regulatory standards with propulsion complying with the EPA’s Tier 4 emissions regulations.
The tugs have two MTU Tier 4 diesel engines that reduce particulate matter emissions and are equipped with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems for removing nitrogen oxide emissions.
Foss said the tugs are “powerful enough to escort the largest tankers and container ships calling in the US West Coast ports they will serve”.
Riviera profiled the first of Foss’ ASD-90 tugs, Jamie Ann in the Q2 2020 issue of Tug Technology & Business. The tug was delivered to Foss in March 2020.
The 31.7 m Jamie Ann has 90 tonnes of bollard pull, ABS’s A1 notations for towing and escorting vessels and UWILD (Underwater Inspection in Lieu of Drydocking) along with equipment for emergency towage and fire-fighting, a moulded beam of 12.2 m and moulded hull depth of 5.2 m.
Two Rolls-Royce’s MTU series 4000 main engines drive Kongsberg’s US255 azimuth thrusters.
Jamie Ann’s three sister tugs Sarah Averick, Leisa Florence, and Rachael Allen are scheduled for delivery later this year, according to Foss.
In July, Foss tugs assisted a hospital ship that provided medical support in California during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Foss tugs: Carolyn Dorothy, Betsy L and Bo Brusco manoeuvred USNS Mercy into the port of Portland, Oregon, after it was moored in Los Angeles during Q2 2020.
Foss provides ship assistance and marine transportation services throughout the Columbia/Snake River system.
It also supports ships in Alaska. Foss recently posted a message and image demonstrating this support, with its tugs Daniel Foss, Iver Foss, Stacey Foss and Sandra Foss manoeuvring a ship in the Chukchi Sea within the Arctic Circle.
Green tug propulsion technology will be discussed in depth during Riviera’s Tug Technology Webinar Week, from 1 September 2020; use this link for more details and to register to our webinars
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