Damen Shipyards has officially named its first diesel-electric Shoalbuster with hybrid propulsion
New owner Herman Sr joined Damen in naming this new dynamically positioned (DP) tug Brutus at the Hardinxveld shipyard in the Netherlands. This is a new model in the Damen Shoalbuster range with hybrid and green propulsion.
Brutus was built to a Shoalbuster 3514 SD design for ultra-shallow operations including inland waterways, harbour and deepsea work and offshore windfarm support and maintenance duties.
It is one of the largest in the Shoalbuster range with powerful towage capabilities of 60 tonnes of bollard pull. At 35-m, the vessel has a 14-m beam, draught of 2.45 m, a free deck space of 200 m2 and is powered by four Caterpillar C32 ACERT engines delivering a total of 3,876 kW of power to four 1,900-mm nozzle propellers.
Damen Hardinxveld director Jos van Woerkum explained the green propulsion credentials of Brutus. “This is the first diesel-electric Shoalbuster with hybrid propulsion in the range, with a shallow draught, DP2 and compliant with the latest IMO Tier III requirements, following installation of a treatment system to reduce its emissions,” he said.
“These features are in line with current developments within the Damen organisation that aim to make it become the most sustainable shipbuilder in the world.”
Brutus has a range of equipment for duties including seabed surveys, mooring, pushing, dredging support, oceangoing towage and general offshore supply duties.
“The vessel’s features include a deck load capacity of 10 tonnes/m2, a free deck space of 200 m2 and it is equipped with a heavy deck crane and two powerful winches,” said Mr van Woerkum.
Brutus has a 600 x 800 mm moonpool for multibeam access, subsea installations and ROV surveys, a four-point mooring system as an alternative to DP2 and is equipped for anchor handling with an open stern complete with roller. For communications, it has two Furuno radar and three satellite communications antennas from Intellian.
Accommodation is comprised of 12 cabins for six to seven crew plus 13-14 additional personnel.
Herman Sr director Jack van Dodewaard said the company’s management is changing with a new generation of the Van Dodewaard family taking over.
“For nearly 75 years, and across three generations, Damen Shipyards has been our vessel supplier and we hope it will last for many more years,” he said.
“The fourth generation of the Van Dodewaards is taking over this year, with Erwin and Chris carrying on with the family business. I wish them good fortune and a healthy business for the coming years and hopefully they will also find their children willing to continue the co-operation with Damen and extend our fleet of Damen workboats,” said Mr van Dodewaard.
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