Business Sectors
Events
Contents
Register to read more articles.
Tug owner tests fuel monitoring technology
Multraship Towage & Salvage has implemented a project to monitor fuel consumption on its tugboats to reduce operating costs and emissions
The Dutch tug owner is collaborating with Cognauship on a project to provide environmentally sustainable towage in northern European ports.
Cognauship developed a device to monitor fuel consumption, and thus emissions, without the need for any structural retrofit or intervention of a tug’s hardware.
This was installed on Multraship’s Multratug 7 and Multratug 13 harbour tugs as part of a pilot project to test the technology in real operations.
“The results provide detailed insight on fuel consumption during specific manoeuvres, such as braking during a lock approach or pushing a vessel to its berth,” said Multraship.
“Eventually, we will gain broad insight into how improvements can be made and which type of tugs are best used for which type of jobs.”
Multraship said this is part of its overall strategy to reduce its environmental footprint.
“Together with our dedicated crews across the fleet, we are continuously working to find ways to reduce our carbon footprint.”
Multratug 7 was built in 2017 as an azimuth stern drive (ASD) tug by Damen Shipyards to its own ASD 2810 design.
This 29-m escort tug has a bollard pull of 62 tonnes and a top speed of 14 knots coming from a pair of Caterpillar 3516C TA engines, with total power of 3,730 kW at 1,600 rpm, driving two Kongsberg US 205 azimuth thrusters.
Multratug 13 was built in 1993 with ABC 8 (M) DZC-800-173 main engines of 1,472 kW power driving fixed-pitch propellers in a steerable Kort nozzle, and an Aquamaster engine of Guascor F 240TA developing 370 kW of power.
Both tugs operate mainly in the Netherlands towing and manoeuvring ships, barges and offshore facilities around ports and along coastlines.
In March, Multraship’s sheerleg crane barge Cormorant lifted 300 tonnes of an offshore structure at a Dutch port in heavy currents and a limited tidal window. Multraship was responsible for the site preparation, dredging, engineering, lifting and transport of the structure on a pontoon.
“Detailed planning and preparation were necessary to perform the job,” said Multraship.
At the end of February, Cormorant was towed from Denmark to Vlissingen, Netherlands, by Amasus Shipping’s 1990-built, 399-gt utility tug Eems Wrestler, which has 32 tonnes of bollard pull.
Riviera Maritime Media’s TUGTECHNOLOGY will be held 22-23 May 2023 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Use this link for further information and to register your interest
Related to this Story
Events
Maritime Environmental Protection Webinar Week
12 May 2025
BST - ONLINE
TUGTECHNOLOGY '25
20 May 2025Antwerp
Reefer container market outlook: Trade disruption, demand shifts & the role of technology
11 Jun 2025BST - ONLINE
© 2024 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.
