Fleets of tugs are being built to EPA Tier 4 emissions requirements and with higher bollard pull for US terminals and barge pusher work
North American tug owners have boosted their fleets with new tugboats for ship escort and inland waterway towage. Several US-headquartered owners have either taken delivery or ordered new tugs during the first four months of this year for either Jones Act trade or assisting ships at coastal terminals.
Demand is rising for more powerful escort and ship-handling tugs at US ports and for stronger tugboats in the nation’s waterways. Terminals are being built on east, west and Gulf coasts to handle larger container ships and LNG carrier loading.
These require modern tugs with higher bollard pulls, better stability and manoeuvring performance. Because of tightening environmental regulations, these tugs are equipped with engine systems that comply with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Tier 4 requirements.
Gulf Island Shipyards is in the middle of a 10-tug newbuilding campaign for two owners, Bay Houston Towing Co and Suderman & Young Towing. It delivered the first of these escort tugs, Mark E Kuebler, to Bay Houston Towing Co in January and completed the first, Ted C Litton, for Suderman & Young in March.
The whole series is being built to Z-Tech 30-80 design, which incorporates the best operational characteristics of Z-drive tractor tugs, azimuthing stern drive tugs and the RAstar series hullform.
They are built to ABS class for escorting larger ships using terminals on the US Gulf coast. These tugs will have a pair of Caterpillar 3516E diesel engines certified to comply with EPA Tier 4 emission requirements, driving Schottel SRP 510 fixed-pitch rudderpropeller Z-drive units.
Z-Tech 30-80 tugs can operate in push or pull mode under the flared ends of large container ships and car carriers as they have a relatively low forward sheer and a wide, heavily fendered bow.
Electrical plant on a Z-Tech 30-80 tug consists of two John Deere 6068AFM85 diesel generator sets, each with a three-phase power output of 125 kW of 480 V and 60 Hz.
ATB deliveries
Louisiana-based Conrad Shipyard delivered articulated tug-barge (ATB) unit, tug Wachapreague and barge Double Skin 803 to Vane Brothers in March. This ATB will be used to transport oil products along US inland waterways at a time when product demand is rising and emissions controls are tightening.
Wachapreague is the last of a series of three ATB units Conrad built with Assateague-class tugs, all linked to 80,000-barrel capacity petroleum barges. These tugs were designed by Castleman Maritime with 3,300 kW of power. Double Skin 803 is 122 m long and has a 22.5 m beam. It is equipped with bow thrusters and thermal heaters for its cargo of asphalt.
Wachapreague is 33.5 m long with a 11.5 m breadth and 4.7 m draught. It is powered by two Cummins engines each able to generate 1,650 kW of power and linked to Double Skin 803 using a Beacon Finland JAK 700 coupling system.
Bouchard Transportation Co took delivery of an ATB unit from shipbuilders VT Halter Marine Inc and Bollinger Shipyards. This is part of the owners’ fleet modernisation of oceangoing ATBs with propulsion that complies with EPA Tier 4 requirements.
VT Halter Marine’s Pascagoula Shipyard built tug Evening Breeze as the first tug in Bouchard’s fleet with EPA Tier 4 engines that have combined power of 2,980 kW. Evening Breeze has an overall length of 34.5 m and breadth of 10.6 m. It is linked to 96-m petroleum transportation Barge No 252, which holds 55,000 barrels, via an Intercon coupler system.
Bouchard Transportation president and chief executive Morton Bouchard III says Evening Breeze is at the cutting edge of ATB construction. The ATB is “a strong representative of [the shipyards’] ability to help advance our fleet with the most innovative technologies,” says Mr Bouchard. “Continuously maintaining and advancing our equipment has always been our top priority. Our safety first philosophy remains at the forefront of our operation.”
“Continuously maintaining and advancing our equipment has always been our top priority"
McAllister Towing is expanding its US east coast escort tug fleet with EPA Tier 4-compliant tugs. It was preparing to take delivery of the latest in this series from Eastern Shipbuilding Group in April.
Ava M McAllister was in final outfitting during Q1 2019 at the Allanton shipbuilding facility. Also at that shipyard is Capt Jim McAllister, which was launched on 19 March. These are similar in design and performance to Rosemary McAllister, which was delivered in June 2018.
This series for McAllister Towing is designed by Jensen Maritime Consultants as Z-drive tugs to support ship manoeuvring and berthing at terminals. They will each have total power of 5,050 kW and have two EPA Tier 4 Caterpillar 3516E diesel main engines driving two Schottel Rudderpropeller SRP-4000 Z-drives.
Schottel has supplied Rudderpropellers to another escort and terminal tug being built for McAllister Towing at Washburn & Doughty shipyard. This ASD tug will be for terminal support, escort duties and for coastal towing and emergency response.
It will have a pair of Caterpillar CAT 3516 engines, which will develop 2,525 kW of power at a speed of 1,800 rpm. These will each drive Schottel SRP 490 propulsors, giving this ASD tug a maximum speed of 14 knots and a bollard pull of around 82 tonnes.
North American tugboat deliveries 2019 | ||||
Tug name | Owner | Type | Builder | Designer |
Mark E Kuebler | Bay Houston Towing Co | escort | Gulf Island | Robert Allan |
Ronnie Murph | Kirby Corp | ATB | Fincantieri Bay | |
Samantha S | Shaver Transportation | harbour | Diversified Marine | Jensen |
Island Regent | Island Tug & Barge | ATB | ITB’s Annacis yard | Robert Allan |
Wachapreague | Vane Brothers | ATB | Conrad | Castleman Marine |
Evening Breeze | Bouchard Transportation | ATB | VT Halter | |
Ted C Litton | Suderman & Young | escort | Gulf Island | Robert Allan |
Ava M McAllister | McAllister Towing | escort | Eastern Shipbuilding | Jensen |
Tsimshian Warrior | SAAM Smit | terminal | Uzmar | Robert Allan |
Source: Tug Technology & Business
Moran Towing Corp has ordered ship-assist and escort tugs that meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 environmental requirements to support US east coast and US Gulf ports.
Washburn & Doughty Shipyard in Maine, US is building these 26-m tugboats to ABS class and Jensen Maritime Consultants’ design.
These tugs will have total power of 3,750 kW, breadth of 11 m and depth of 4.6 m. They will be equipped with two Caterpillar 3512E, EPA Tier 4 diesel engines and Rolls Royce Z-drive propulsion units, which will give these tugs a bollard pull of around 61 tonnes.
Jensen included a deep skeg on the forward section of the hull design to improve performance during escort work. They will have a Markey escort hawser winch on the fore deck, and a Markey H-bitt and hydraulic capstan on the aft for towing and line handling.
Construction has started on a new fleet of azimuth stern drive (ASD) tugs for Foss Maritime. Nichols Brothers Boat Builders will build at least four, and potentially up to 10, ASD 90 design tractor tugs in this campaign.
These were designed by Jensen Maritime Consultants with Environmental Protection Agency Tier 4 MTU 4000 series main engines. Foss intends to operate these tugs within ports and harbours on the US west coast with the first of four vessels due to be delivered in Q1 2020.
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