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Chinese shipyards deliver newbuild tugs to boost harbour towage
Chinese shipbuilders have delivered tugboats to domestic and international owners, increasing levels of harbour towage in several ports
Rizhao Port in Shandong, China, took delivery of two new harbour tugs from Rizhao Gangda Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Co, part of the Shandong Port group.
Ri Gang Tuo 32 and Ri Gang Tuo 33 were built to Robert Allan Ltd’s RAmparts 3700 design with more than 80 tonnes of bollard pull and a large shiphandling winch. These 37-m, 626-gt tugs have a moulded beam of 12 m, a depth of 6 m and are classed by the China Classification Society.
Robert Allan said these are the “most powerful tugs built by the shipyard” to date and “marked a significant milestone” for tug building in Shandong.
“The two tugs are designed for offshore towing and vessel assistance, tailored to meet the specific needs of the attended vessels at the port and the unique environmental conditions,” Robert Allan said.
“Remote monitoring and control systems are integrated on the tugs, optimising performance and safety, thereby distinguishing them within the port fleets.”
Ri Gang Tuo 32 and Ri Gang Tuo 33 both achieved a free running speed ahead of 14 knots and a bollard pull of 82 tonnes during sea trials. Their propulsion consists of two Niigata 8L28HX diesel engines and two Niigata ZP-41 azimuth thrusters. Accommodation includes a cabin for the tug master and another for the chief engineer, a lounge and a galley arranged on the main deck, while the lower deck houses eight single cabins for crew members, including officers.
Also in China, Cheoy Lee Shipyards has delivered a series of harbour tugs to owners in Singapore and Malaysia to Robert Allan designs.
In Malaysia, KST Maritime continued its fleet expansion, receiving SA Unity in April and SA Pride in March, both built by Hong Kong-headquartered Cheoy Lee in its Chinese shipyard. These 25-m tugs were built to a RAmparts 2500-CL deign with a FiFi1 off-ship fire-fighting system and ship-assistance winch.
Cheoy Lee also delivered RAmparts 2500-CL design tugs, PSA Achieve and PSA Unity, also each with a FiFi1 fire-fighting system and ship-towage winch, to PSA Marine for operations in Singapore. These deliveries followed the completion by Cheoy Lee of Isla Carenero for PSA Marine’s harbour towage operations in Panama in March.
In April, Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyards delivered a 38-m, azimuth stern drive tugboat to Dalian Port. It was built with 4,850 kW of installed power, a beam of 11 m, a depth of 5 m, a bollard pull of 73 tonnes and a speed of 13 knots.
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