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ACBL orders powerful towboat to modernise fleet
American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) has ordered a new towboat from C&C Marine and Repair to bolster marine transport and logistics in the US
This 8,200-kW towboat was designed by CT Marine and will be built in Belle Chasse, Louisiana for Q3 2024 delivery.
“We are investing in our future by building on the strength of our industry-leading mainline operations,” said ACBL chief executive Mike Ellis. “The addition of this new towboat is an example of our continuous efforts to modernise ACBL’s fleet and offer more innovative marine transport solutions to our customers.”
This twin-screw towboat will have an overall length of 60 m, a beam of 15 m and a depth of 4 m. Upon delivery, it will operate on ACBL’s mainline network pushing up to 56 barges, averaging around 75,000 tonnes of cargo.
“Not only is this boat high powered and highly capable, but it will also feature all the latest innovations in technology, crew comfort, safety and efficiency,” said Mr Ellis.
Two Caterpillar C280-12 main engines, each producing around 4,100 kW, will be supplied by Louisiana CAT and paired with two Reintjes WAF 6755 reduction gears provided by Karl Senner. Electrical power will be supplied by three Caterpillar 275-kW generators.
“When comparing this 8,200-kW-class towboat to smaller 4,475-kW-class towboats frequently used for mainline operations, this larger horsepower vessel will increase efficiency by 20% or more on both a cost per tonne mile and CO2 emissions per tonne mile basis due to the increase in tow size and tonnage capacity,” said ACBL chief operating officer Patrick Sutton.
“Our investment in this new towboat not only benefits our customers but also reflects our commitment to promoting a more sustainable and low-carbon future for our marine supply chain.”
C&C Marine and Repair president Tony Cibilich said this new towboat “is the first of several we hope to construct, as there is a need for vessels with this kind of horsepower in the market.”
The shipyard will outfit this vessel with CT Marine CT28-SL nozzles housing 314-mm diameter stainless-steel, five-blade fixed pitch propellers and features Twin-DIFF flanking and steering rudder systems.
The vessel can accommodate a crew of up to 12 and the design incorporates a floating, spring-mounted superstructure for additional crew comfort.
Also in the US, Marquette Transportation officially named towboat Charles Reid Perry, which was built by C&C Marine and Repair in Belle Chasse to operate on the Lower Mississippi River.
For main propulsion, this vessel is outfitted with fully electronic diesel engines producing 4,920 kW and Z-drive units consisting of three Steerprop SP25 azimuth thrusters, while electrical power comes from two Cummins AWK-11 engines, rated to US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 3 emissions standards.
Seattle, Washington state shipbuilder Snow & Co won a contract to build two 15-m pilot boats for the Crescent River Port Pilots’ Association, Louisiana.
These all-aluminium vessels are designed by Camarc Design with a hullform for enhanced fuel efficiencies, good seakeeping capabilities and reduced slamming accelerations.
It will be powered by twin Volvo Penta D13-800 diesel engines, rated for EPA Tier 3, two Hamilton Jet HJ403 waterjets and Twin Disc MGX5136SC marine gears for a top speed of 35 knots.
In March, Snow & Co launched a new 20-m pilot boat it is building for the San Francisco Bar Pilots. Golden Gate was also designed by Camarc as an all-aluminium vessel with a top speed of 30 knots.
It will be powered by MAN D2862 LE 438 engines rated at 895 kW with EPA Tier 4 compliance, driving two Hamilton HTX52 waterjets through Twin Disc MGX 6599 SC gearboxes. This pilot boat is also equipped with Northern Lights M944T3F 38kW generators.
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