A leading builder of harbour and escort tugs in the US, Master Boat Builders, is working on major newbuilding campaigns
Master Boat Builders (MBB) has grown from small beginnings five decades ago to become one of the most prominent builders of harbour tugs in the US.
This family run shipbuilder, founded after the 1979 hurricane season, produces six to seven tugs per year, with nine currently under construction at its shipyard in Coden, Alabama. It is constructing harbour tugs for Bay Houston Towing, Suderman & Young and the final vessel in a four-tug order from Seabulk.
MBB is on the leading edge of technology adoption as it is building the first electric-powered harbour tug in the US, Crowley’s eWolf, and has just cut steel on the second tugboat of an articulated tug-barge (ATB) unit that will supply LNG bunkers to ships off Florida.
MBB president Garrett Rice says there has been a major shift in discussions with tug owners around implementing technology and reducing their environmental footprint.
Harbour tugs in the US are already some of the most environmentally friendly, thanks to the federal administration Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 emissions requirements. Newbuildings need NOx-reducing aftertreatment systems and diesel particulate filters to comply and operate in US ports. Owners are now looking at other technologies to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
“Everyone is asking what the next-generation tug looks like, such as hybrid with diesel generators or main engines with batteries,” says Mr Rice. “All of these configurations are new, and we are learning every day. Technology is evolving and changing at a rapid rate.”
He expects more tug owners will consider hybrid propulsion and batteries over the next 5-10 years to reduce their carbon footprint.
“There has been a shift in mindset over the past year from operators looking for cheap and efficient, to wanting efficient and clean,” says Mr Rice. “Our conversations have shifted to an environmental message with resources behind that, with some looking at electric tugboats and keeping Tier 4 engines with the aftertreatment.” This ensures emissions are within EPA expectations even when battery or hybrid propulsion is not available.
MBB has built the first of two escort tugs with Berg Propulsion-supplied hybrid propulsion for Seabulk to Robert Allan Ltd’s (RAL) RApport 3000 design. Spartan was the first with hybrid-electric propulsion, with twin Cat 3512E main engines complying with EPA Tier 4, Berg MTA 628 azimuth thrusters, Berg VS3 variable frequency drives with motors, and a hybrid control system. Mr Rice says the second of these tugs, Titan, is set to be delivered in September.
MBB has also built two Rotortugs – Nike and Hermes – for Seabulk and is in the middle of major construction campaigns for Bay Houston and Suderman & Young, with the first of these scheduled for delivery Q4 2022, all RAL designed. “It has been a very interesting year and a half,” says Mr Rice.
“Tugboat owners continuously need to replenish their fleets to be sustainable and need new harbour tugs built to support new LNG terminals and projects,” he explains.
“The harbour tug fleet in the US is ageing and ships coming to ports are larger, so more propulsion power is needed. It is a steady business that continues to be sustainable.”
But there are challenges to overcome in terms of project execution and delivery, with supply chains stretched and lead times lengthened.
“It is taking longer to get engines and generator sets from manufacturers. What was once 38 weeks has become 58-60 weeks,” says Mr Rice. “This stretches build times, as for tugs, we need to get the engines in early in the build, as they are below the accommodation in the centre of the boat.”
As equipment comes from North America and Europe, some suppliers are challenged to meet delivery times set by newbuild programmes. “We are working with dealers and manufacturers to improve this for critical items, but what was 15 months, from steel cut to delivery, is now 18 months,” says Mr Rice. “It is almost impossible to deliver within 15 months because of lead times for engines and other machinery.”
This is a growing trend, although some suppliers are working faster to shorten delivery times. Tug owners need to consider this before ordering tugs.
“Ideally, we want to have long build programmes so we can plan accordingly, not just one or two boats that are needed now to fill holes in fleet requirements, as these projects are harder to manage,” says Mr Rice.
Other considerations for newbuildings are the type of deck machinery, fire-fighting equipment on board and visibility from the wheelhouse. “Visibility around and upwards is important as tugs operate under the bow of ships, which is a demanding job for masters,” says Mr Rice. Some of the latest harbour and escort tugs, expected to assist container ships of more than 15,000 TEU, or very large crude carriers, have almost total glass around the pilothouse for maximum visibility.
Mr Rice predicts the near future for tug design and construction is hybrid and batteries, but not alternative fuels, such as methanol. There is also demand for more ATBs to bunker LNG to larger ships and for tugs supporting increased LNG export trade from US terminals.
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