A Chinese shipyard is building 11 pusher tugs for a COSCO mining project and completed four tugs for harbour operations
Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard group has completed six tugs in October as part of three tug newbuilding campaigns.
This Chinese shipbuilder has completed four azimuth stern drive (ASD) tugs for unnamed foreign vessel owners. Each have 3,300 kW of propulsion power, hulls designed for harbour towage and were launched from a dock into a quayside at the shipyard using a crane during Q2 and Q3 of this year.
Jiangsu Zhenjiang has also completed the first two of 11 tugs it is building for a Chinese inland bulk transportation project in Africa.
It delivered Yi Tuo 101 and Yi Tuo 102 to COSCO Shipping Bulk Transportation on 14 October.
These tugboats will be operated by Yifeng Shipping and used on the Guinea Al-project. They each have 2,685 kW of power for pushing full and empty barges along rivers in Guinea, which is one of the world’s largest exporters of aluminium ore and bauxite.
“These vessels’ power, design, performance, safety and environmental properties represent high efficiency and sees our green development concept reaching advanced levels,” said Jiangsu Zhenjiang.
In addition, Jiangsu Zhenjiang has sold the first batch of new harbour tugs it is building on a speculative basis for its own stock.
It is following the lead of other global tug builders, Damen Shipyards, Med Marine, Uzmar and Sanmar in building tugs for its own stock, or fleet, to sell on.
It has sold all 12 of the first set of harbour tugs. These will have main engine power of 4,000 kW, an overall length of 33.75 m, beam of 12.2 m, hull depth of 5.40 m and design draught of 4.2 m. They are suitable for unrestricted navigation, comply with ABS class, have 70 tonnes of towing force and top speeds of 13 knots.
“This marks the staged success of our exploration of a new marketing model of production-before-sale,” said the shipyard. Jiangsu Zhenjiang uses designs from Canadian naval architects Robert Allan.
On 4 October, the shipyard laid the keel for a new ASD harbour tug for operations in Zhangjiagang Port. This tug will have total power of 3,280 kW and will be named Zhanggang 28.
In September, Jiangsu Zhenjiang cut steel for a 3,280-kW ASD harbour tug for operations in Tangshan Port for Caofeidian Tug Ship Co.
It also started constructing a 3,680 kW-powered, ASD harbour tug for Zhenjiang Port Group Co and launched towing tug Bao Hang 6 for Liaoning Longyun Shunze Tugboat Co.
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