Tug builders continue to complete tugs for inland waterways and port operations with greener propulsion and greater power
US shipyards are riding on a wave of newbuilding construction projects as tug owners enhance and extend their Jones Act fleets for expanding port and inland waterway requirements.
Shipbuilders have delivered series of green tugs, towboats and articulated tug-barge (ATB) units with engines complying with US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Tier 4 emissions requirements.
Near the end of April, Crowley Fuels passed a technical milestone as a new ATB entered service. Bollinger Shipyards built an Alaska-class ATB with a 5,220-kW tugboat linked to a 122-m long oceangoing oil transportation barge.
Tug Aveogan was linked to barge Oliver Leavitt using an Intercon C-series coupling system with a first-of-its-kind lightering helmet. This ATB also features a patent-pending closed-loop, freshwater ballast water management system, whereby the tug’s ballast will be transferred to and from a retention tank on the barge to account for fuel burn.
Aveogan-Oliver Leavitt will transport up to 100,000 barrels of oil products in northern Alaska. It was designed by Jensen Maritime to meet ice class and Polar Code requirements, says Crowley Fuels Alaska vice president and general manager Rick Meidel. “The new vessel’s advanced design and environmental protection features mark a new era for fuel transportation services in Alaska,” he says.
Aveogan tug has azimuthing Z-drives to enhance manoeuvrability. It is fitted with two GE 8L250 main engines that meet EPA’s Tier 4 emissions standards. The generators on the tug and barge meet EPA Tier 3 and IMO Tier II emissions requirements.
Also in April, Canal Barge Co took delivery of new towboat H. Merritt ‘Heavy’ Lane Jr from Conrad Shipyard. This 50.5-m vessel was built to a MiNO Marine design, with two main EPA Tier 4 compliant engines. These EMD 12ME23B engines, each rated 2,238 kW at 900 rpm, turn a pair of Sound Propeller CF-3 drives, via Reintjes WAF4545 reduction gears.
This tug tows barges on the Mississippi River with a hullform specifically designed to maximise water flow to the propellers and minimise vibrations.
Inside the engineroom are two Cummins QSB7-DM 170-kW, six-cylinder aftercooled generators, Hiller fire protection and an EMI alarm and monitoring system.
These deliveries followed a busy Q1 2020 for US shipyards. Steiner Construction completed the first of a series of seven towboats it is building for Maritime Partners. Tug Darrell Hiatt was built to a Farrell & Norton design with twin Mitsubishi S12R main engines compliant with EPA Tier 3 standards driving two Sound Propeller units via Twin Disc 5600 reduction gears. The other six are scheduled for delivery later this year and into 2021.
Master Marine delivered a second towboat for Osage Marine Services. Frank Mellor was designed by Entech Designs and has EPA Tier 3-compliant Mitsubishi diesel engines, also turning two Sound Propeller units.
Vane Brothers took delivery of the second of four Salisbury-class tugs Annapolis, for inland waterways transportation. These tugs are being built by Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Maryland, with EPA Tier 3-compliant Caterpillar engines. The first tug of this new class, Salisbury, was delivered in Q4 2019. The other two are expected to enter service later in 2020.
There were at least three other harbour and escort tug deliveries in the US this year. The latest, Hercules, was built by Diversified Marine for Brusco Tug and Barge with EPA Tier 4-compliant propulsion. It was chartered by Crowley Maritime to escort and handle ships in Pacific Northwest harbours.
Foss Maritime also took delivery of the first of a new series of escort tugs in February. Nichols Brothers Boat Builders constructed Jamie Ann in Freeland, Washington, to a Jensen Maritime design with EPA Tier 4 engines. Sister tugs are scheduled for delivery later this year, at a rate of one per quarter.
In March, McAllister Towing mobilised harbour tug Eileen McAllister to Port Everglades, Florida, after it was completed by Washburn & Doughty. This 28.3-m tug has bollard pull of 84 tonnes, generated by a pair of Caterpillar 3516E, EPA Tier 4-compliant main engines. These have a combined power of 5,050 kW and drive two Schottel SRP 490 Z-drives.
However, there have been delays to ATB newbuildings from the restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. VT Halter shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, has slowed construction of the Q-LNG 4000 ATB, which Q-LNG Transport intends to use for LNG bunkering services. It has an LNG bunkering station at Port Fourchon and will charter this ATB to Shell Trading for bunkering cruise ships and car carriers. Q-LNG 4000 is now expected to be delivered in Q2 2020.
Far East deliveries
In China, Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyards returned to full production after slowing down following Covid-19 restrictions. It completed a series of pusher and towing tugs for an aluminium mining project in Guinea, Africa.
Shipbuilders tackled a backlog of work to complete the five 37-m pusher tugs Yi Tuo (Yick Tug) 103, 104, 203, 204 and 205. These each have a breadth of around 14.4 m, depth of 5.1 m and bollard pull of about 42 tonnes.
Zhenjiang Shipyard will complete more of these pusher tugs during Q2 2020. It will also complete azimuth stern drive (ASD) tugs for domestic ports during that period after launching tugs during April and March. The latest was launching ASD tugboat Xin Bei Bu Wan Gang 18 on 18 April. This 2,942-kW tug is being built for Guangxi Beibuwan Tugboat Co. This owner also witnessed lift launching of a similar ASD tug on 7 April at the shipyard.
Zhenjiang Shipyard started constructing two ASD tugs on 29 March for Zhenjiang Port Tug Co and YangZhou Port Tug Co and laid the keel for a 3,680-kW ASD tugboat for Zhenjiang Port Group on 22 March.
During Q1 2020, Cheoy Lee Shipyard completed Z-drive tug PSA Taurus for PSA Marine’s operations in the Port of Singapore. It also delivered a second escort tug to Svitzer for its terminal support operations in Egypt and completed two workboats to Macduff Ship Designs for its own stock.
Other significant deliveries included:
Tug name |
Owner |
Type |
Builder |
Country |
Designer |
Bollard pull (tonnes) |
Annapolis |
Vane Brothers |
pusher tug |
Chesapeake Shipbuilding |
US |
Chesapeake |
- |
Asyaport Degirmenalti |
Asyaport |
harbour |
Med Marine |
Turkey |
Robert Allan |
60 |
Ben Owusu-Mensah |
Ghana Ports |
harbour |
TOR Group |
Ghana |
Robert Allan |
82 |
Bogacay XXXVIII |
Sanmar |
harbour |
Sanmar |
Turkey |
Robert Allan |
70 |
Bolko |
Polish Navy |
naval |
Remontowa |
Poland |
unknown |
35 |
Darrell Hiatt |
Maritime Partners |
towboat |
Steiner |
US |
Farrell & Norton |
- |
Eileen McAllister |
McAllister Towing |
harbour |
Washburn & Doughty |
US |
unknown |
75 |
Frank Mellor |
Osage Marine Services |
towboat |
Master Marine |
US |
Entech Designs |
- |
Gang Qin No 501 |
Kaohsiung Marine Service |
harbour |
Shin Yang Shipyard |
Taiwan |
Mega Salutes Ship |
60 |
Gniewko |
Polish Navy |
naval |
Remontowa |
Poland |
unknown |
35 |
Hercules |
Brusco / Crowley |
escort |
Diversified Marine |
US |
Robert Allan |
81 |
Italia |
Rimorchiatori Riuniti |
harbour |
Sanmar |
Italy |
Robert Allan |
70 |
Jamie Ann |
Foss |
escort |
Nichols Brothers |
US |
Jensen |
90 |
Jin Gang Lun 34 |
Tianjin Port |
harbour |
Shanghai Harbour Fuxing |
China |
Robert Allan |
51 |
Magni |
Faxaflóahafnir |
harbour |
Damen |
Iceland |
Damen |
85 |
Patricia Matheson |
Inverlussa Marine |
multicat |
Damen |
UK |
Damen |
15 |
Peterel |
Targe Towing |
harbour |
Sanmar |
UK |
Robert Allan |
70 |
PSA Taurus |
PSA Marine |
harbour |
Cheoy Lee |
Singapore |
Robert Allan |
50 |
Queensferry |
Targe Towing |
harbour |
Sanmar |
UK |
Robert Allan |
70 |
SAAM Huasteca |
SAAM |
harbour |
Damen |
Mexico |
Damen |
85 |
Sea Golf |
Seacontractors |
multipurpose |
Damen |
UAE |
Damen |
50 |
Starnav Tiaki |
Starnav |
harbour |
Detroit |
Brazil |
Detroit |
85 |
Svitzer Port Said 2 |
Svitzer |
escort |
Cheoy Lee |
Egypt |
Robert Allan |
80 |
T. Damla 8 |
Ditas |
harbour |
RMK Shipyard |
Turkey |
unknown |
70 |
T. Damla 9 |
Ditas |
harbour |
RMK Shipyard |
Turkey |
unknown |
70 |
Tolbukhin |
Rosmorport |
harbour |
Damen |
Russia |
Damen |
55 |
Yashima Maru |
Shibaura Tsusen Kaisha |
harbour |
Daizo |
Japan |
unknown |
- |
Source: Tug Technology & Business/news reports
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