There was a surge in tug deliveries in July after a steady stream of completions in Q2 2019
Asian shipyards have completed a large number of tugs for harbour operations, terminal support, inland towage and salvage in Q2 and July 2019. Chinese shipyards were the busiest in terms of deliveries, with tugs completed for domestic operators and for export.
Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard group completed four tugs in Q2 and three more in July. The latest delivery by Jiangsu Zhenjiang was Cao Port 27 for operations in Tangshan Port. This is an azimuth stern drive (ASD) tug with total propulsion power of 2,660 kW and was delivered to Caofeidian Tugging Services Co on 19 July.
This came just a week after two ASD tugboats were delivered by the shipbuilder to Guangxi Beibu Bulk Port Towboat Co. Harbour tugs Xin Beibuwangang 5 and Xin Beibuwangang 6 were built each with 3,824 kW of propulsion power to assist bulk carriers in the port.
At the end of May 2019, it delivered another harbour tug, Xin Beibuwangang 15, to Beibu Gulf Port Co. This is an ASD tug with 2,942 kW of propulsion power.
Also in May 2019, Jiangsu Zhenjiang delivered two ASD tugs to Tianjin Port Tug Co as the first vessels built to China classification society CCS’ notation of Intelligence. Jin Gang Lun 31 and Jin Gang Lun 32 each have systems for monitoring fuel and vibrations.
Rival shipbuilder Cheoy Lee Shipyards was also active in Q2 as it delivered two 32-m tugs to HUD Group subsidiary Hong Kong Salvage & Towage.
These harbour tugs were officially named Mai Po and Sung Kong in Hong Kong in July. They were built to a Robert Allan RAstar 3200 design and in accordance with Lloyd’s Register’s class requirements with more than 80 tonnes of bollard pull.
Both vessels are the most powerful tugs to be brought into service in Hong Kong harbour, which has witnessed a rise in ultra-large container ships using Kwai Tsing container terminals.
In sea trials, Mai Po and Sung Kong achieved speeds of more than 13 knots and bollard pulls in excess of 80 tonnes. They have a moulded beam of 12.8 m and maximum draught of 4.19 m to access smaller harbours. They were also equipped with fire-fighting systems to FiFi1 class and can be used to support salvage and pollution control operations.
Damen Shipyard’s facility in China has built various tugs to standard design for Damen’s own stock and for Asian requirements. It built a new tugboat for Nakhodka Trade Sea Port under supervision of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. Peotr became the most powerful tug in the Nakhodka fleet with 2,600 kW of propulsion power.
It is supporting ships berthing at the port in Nakhodka Bay in Primorsky Krai, Russia, around 85 km east of Vladivostok.
In Japan, Naikai Tug Boat Service Co extended its fleet of harbour and terminal towage tugs with a 34.5-m, fire-fighting and safety patrol vessel Amata Maru, built by Daizo Corp. Amata Maru has a bollard pull of around 60 tonnes and a total power output of 3,281 kW.
This comes from a pair of Niigata 6L28HX main engines that drive two ZP-31 azimuthing propellers. This 226-gt tug has a beam of 9.6 m and top speed of 14.8 knots. Naikai Tug Boat Service’s tugs provide escort and berthing duties for LNG carriers and tankers at Japanese import terminals and offer coastal pollution protection.
Other significant deliveries
Damen Shipyards completed a new ASD tug for the Port of Nelson, New Zealand in Q2 2019. Huria Matenga II was ordered by the operator in 2018 as part of a NZ$29M (US$19M) expansion of the port to accommodate 280-m ships at the quay. This 24-m tug was built to an ASD 2411 design at Damen’s Vietnam shipyard and has 70 tonnes of bollard pull. It joined ASD 2310-design Toia, which was built by Damen in 2016.
In India, Hindustan Shipyard delivered the first four of a six-tug newbuilding campaign. These are 10-tonne bollard pull tugs being constructed with speeds of up to 12 knots for the Indian Navy. The fourth tug in the series, Avtar, was delivered in July. A fifth tug is ready for delivery and the final one of the series is being completed for delivery later in Q3 2019.
In Tonga, the island’s port authority started operating a new tug as part of an upgrade to the harbour to attract more cruise ships and container ships. Olovaha is a 23-m tug with 8-m beam, 4.35-m depth and fire-fighting capabilities.
In the Ukraine, Nibulon has completed the final tug, Nibulon 11, of the POSS-115 newbuilding programme. These tugs are used to escort non-self-propelled vessels along the Dnipro River and the Buh-Dnipro-Lyman Canal. These 37.2-m tugs have shallow draught of 2.5 m to access inland waterways. They each have Mitsubishi main engines and total propulsion power of 1,880 kW producing top speed of 11 knots.
Fortescue unveils nine-tug fleet in Australia
Nine tugs have been introduced to the largest bulk export port in the world, in Australia. Fortescue Metals Group (FMP) has introduced a new fleet of tugs and towage infrastructure at its Herb Elliott Port in Port Hedland as it ramps up mining operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Six of these nine tugs were procured from Asian shipyards and three were leased from a major international tug owner. Fortescue officially introduced these tugs at a ceremony in Port Hedland on 27 June. They are based at a new facility in the vicinity of Fortescue’s berths 1-3 at Anderson Point.
These tugs are part of FMG’s strategy for operating advanced vertically integrated mining and bulk export infrastructure. Six were built by Damen Shipyards at its shipyards in Vietnam to a Rotortug 85-32W design. Another three Rotortugs were leased from Kotug International.
All nine of these tugs will be managed by Westug and Kotug for FMG’s long-term towage requirements in the region, said FMG chief executive Elizabeth Gaines.
“Fortescue operates the most efficient bulk port operation in Australia and the towage fleet represents the final element in our supply chain,” she said. “With our innovative new tug fleet, we are able to provide safe and reliable towage services and additional towage capacity for all Port Hedland users.
“The tug fleet and new facilities will maximise the efficiencies of our operation and provide long-term sustainable towage services crucial to meeting the demands of our customers,” Ms Gaines said.
Fortescue procured and constructed tugs:
FMG Dusky
FMG Tawny
FMG Spinner
FMG Hammerhead
FMG Blacktip
FMG Mako
Kotug leased tugs:
FMG Sandtiger
FMG Sawfish
RT Eduard
Tug deliveries in Asia in Q2 2019
Tug name | owner | type | builder | country of operation |
Amata Maru | Nakai Tug Boat Service | terminal | Daizo Corp | Japan |
Bakhtemir | Rosmorrechflot | salvage & rescue | Big Port St Petersburg | Russia |
Bao Gang Tuo 19 | Baoshan Iron & Steel Co | harbour | Jiangsu Zhenjiang | China |
Huria Matenga II | Port Nelson | harbour | Damen | New Zealand |
Jingang Lun 31 | Tianjin Port Tug & Barge | harbour | Jiangsu Zhenjiang | China |
Jingang Lun 32 | Tianjin Port Tug & Barge | harbour | Jiangsu Zhenjiang | China |
Mai Po | HUD Group | harbour | Cheoy Lee | Hong Kong |
Multicat 1506 Australia | Maritime Adelaide | multipurpose | Damen | Australia |
Nibulon-10 | Nibulon | inland towage | Nibulon | Ukraine |
Nibulon-11 | Nibulon | inland towage | Nibulon | Ukraine |
Peotr | Nakhodka TSP | harbour | Damen | Russia |
Rome-Moscow | Russian Navy | escort | Vittoria Shipyard | Russia |
Sung Kong | HUD Group | harbour | Cheoy Lee | Hong Kong |
Trewenna | Silverburn Shipping | pusher tug | Tecia Bodewes | Caspian |
Xin Beibuwangang 15 | BeiHai Port | harbour | Jiangsu Zhenjiang | China |
Source: Tug Technology & Business/news reports
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