Russian organisations have ordered two series of ice-class harbour tugs to modernise fleets in ports around the nation’s huge coastline
Damen Shipyards and Russian builder Zelenodolsk have each won contracts to build fleets of tugboats in the next four years to assist larger ships entering expanding Russian ports.
According to BRL Shipping Consultants these two orders represent 12 tug newbuildings in total with nine scheduled for delivery before the end of 2022. They are likely to be operated through affiliates of Rosmorport in ports across northern and eastern Russia.
Damen’s affiliate Changde shipyard in China is down to build seven ice-class tugs to Damen’s ASD 3010 ICE design. Some are already under construction or close to completion as Damen builds tugs at its shipyard for its own sales stock. The 299-gt harbour tugs are scheduled to be delivered from August this year to Q4 2022. They will have an overall length of 29.84 m, beam of 9.8 m and draught of 3.78 m.
Caterpillar has picked up orders for their main engines and will supply two Caterpillar 3516C-HD engines for each tug, compliant with IMO Tier III emissions requirements. Each engine will develop 2,550 kW of power at 1,875 rpm.
In a separate order, Zelenodolsk was selected to build five seagoing tugs at around US$10.6M each, according to BRL data. These will be T3150 project tugs with an overall length ranging from 30 m to 35 m and breadth of 10-12 m. Tatarstan-based Zelenodolsk is scheduled to deliver these from July 2022 to the end of 2024. Three have been allocated to operate in Archangelsk, one in Murmansk and the other in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Russia’s Far East.
Damen was approached by International Tug & Salvage, but was unable to comment on these Russian orders. It has strong connections in Russia, having previously delivered tug newbuildings to its ports with one of the latest beginning operations in Nakhodka Commercial Sea Port in June 2021. This ice-class tug has installed power of 2,600 kW and can break 70 cm of ice in the harbour during northern hemisphere winters.
More tugs will be needed for Russian ports as imports and exports increase over the next few years. Rosmorport has started tendering for construction of an ice-class tugboat. Applications to build this tug to Russian Maritime Register of Shipping class Arc 4 hull and Ice 3 machinery are due until 10 August.
This will be a 25-m tug with a beam of 8.5 m and draught of less than 4.5 m. It will be built to carry out pilotage and manoeuvre large-tonnage vessels in ice conditions.
In addition, a fleet of tugboats with Arc 6 hull class will be required to support coal exports from the Taymyr Peninsula, Siberia, manoeuvring ships into the new Yenisei port for the Syradasayskoye coal project.
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