Shipyard launches last of four-tug newbuilding series

A new tugboat fleet is being built to transport commodities along Ukraine’s inland waterways.

Ukrainian industrial and shipping group Nibulon’s shipbuilding and repair yard has launched the fourth POSS-115 project tug in the Ukraine. This vessel was named Nibulon-11 and will be outfitted ready to enter service in H2 2019.

The first of this series of POSS-115 tugs, Nibulon-8 was completed and readied for service in February this year, while two other tugs are being outfitted on the quayside of the shipyard.

All four are part of Nibulon’s production programme for 2018-2019 and will enhance the group’s ability to escort non-self-propelled vessels along the Dnipro River and the Buh-Dnipro-Lyman Canal.

Once these newbuildings are completed, Nibulon will operate 10 POSS-115 project tugs to transport commodities, particularly agricultural products. The previous tugs built and completed in the Ukraine, Nibulon-5 and Nibulon-6, entered service in 2014.

This latest series of tugs will have an overall length of 37.2 m and shallow draught of 2.54 m to access inland waterways. Their main engines, supplied by Mitsubishi, have a total power capacity of 1,880 kW producing a top speed of 11 knots driving Rolls-Royce-supplied rudder-propellers. Also in the engineroom are Volvo-Penta diesel generators and Viessmann boilers. DMT is supplying the deck equipment.

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On the second POSS-115 project tug, Nibulon-9, engineers are installing and commissioning pipework and electricians are connecting navigation consoles and an alarm switchboard. 

The third POSS-115 project tug, Nibulon-10, was launched in January 2019. Since then, shipbuilders have assembled engineroom equipment and the rudder propellers. They are installing pipework and cabling around the vessel.

The Nibulon shipyard will next build a self-propelled P-140 project vessel. This will be a 140-m floating crane with storage capacity for marine construction.