Tugs spotlight

NEW BOATS, NEW ORDERS IN THE TUG SECTOR

The trend with new tug deliveries and orders remains positive including 12 vessels worthy of mention, mostly with European connections.

Only recently Damen reported Fairplay Towage Polska’s order for one of its Shoalbuster range tugs. Demonstrating modern tug builders’ policies of offering short delivery times, the new vessel has now been delivered. Fairplay-37 is a Damen Shoalbuster 2711 ICE and set to play a role in developing the emerging offshore wind sector in Poland’s Baltic Sea sector and beyond, its ice-class capabilities allowing year-round operation in the Baltic.

Built at Damen’s SAFE Shipyard in Gdansk, the shallow draught vessel provides a bollard pull of 47 tonnes via IMO Tier III compliant Caterpillar 3512C main engines, and while the standard design has the option for ice-class, Fairplay-37 is the first of the type to actually be constructed for operations in icy conditions. This first ever Damen-built vessel for Fairplay Towage Polska was followed by a further order for two RSD 2513 tugs to be delivered in Q1 2023.

Orkney Islands Council’s programme of replacing its ageing fleet of tugs that have served the council well for more than 30 years is now complete, with arrival of Freyja of Scapa from Sanmar’s Tuzla yard in Turkey. The tug undertook the 3,500nm delivery voyage under its own keel and the yard’s class name Kocaçay III to its new home in Scapa Flow, joining sister vessels Odin of Scapa and Thor of Scapa, delivered in 2020. Orkney Islands Council now has a trio of powerful ASD tugs based on Robert Allan’s RAstar 3200SX design, well suited for service in the region’s hostile weather conditions, including at the Flotta Terminal.

While the standard design has the option for ice-class, Fairplay-37 is the first of the type ‘‘ to actually be constructed for operations in icy conditions

Back in May 2021, Robert Allan unveiled its new ElectRA series of zero-emission battery electric tugs, including an order for three 2800 marque vessels for HaiSea Marine’s LNG Canada tug fleet. The series ranges from 21m to 28m, including a tractor configured version, and Sanmar has reported an order from SAAM Towage for two ElectRA 2300SX (Sanmar exclusive) versions. The 2300 variant is described by RAL as recognising that as most battery electric tugs will be intended for harbour operations, overnight accommodation will not always be required, freeing up space for in excess of 3,500kWh battery capacity in a flush deck design.

Contract signing and steel cutting for both vessels took place during the recent 26th ITS Convention, Exhibition & Awards week in Turkey and when delivered in 2023, the 70tbp pair will operate in SAAM’s Canadian fleet.

Importance of protection

Returning to news from Damen, despite financial restraints currently affecting many countries, coastal states in Europe are still recognising the importance of protecting life, property and the environment following emergencies at sea.

With this in mind, Romania’s General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations has ordered two Damen Stan Patrol 5009 emergency response vessels, part of the government’s ‘Vision 2020’ project aimed at improving the country’s disaster-response capacity.

Described as ‘Search and Rescue Multirole Vessels’, they will be capable of missions up to three days’ duration in rough seas with a range of at least 2,000nm at cruising speed. They will have different roles, one with an SAR capability, including an emphasis on first aid and being capable of evacuating and taking on board at least 50 persons.

The second will be a fire-fighting multirole vessel meeting fifi-1 notation with multiple spray nozzles, including one on top of a hydraulic arm. It will also be capable of taking at least 30 persons on board. Both will have a winch area for ‘touch-andgo’ helicopter operations, rescue boats and ability to launch drones and remotely controlled unmanned vessels. With top speeds of 22kn they will be built at Damen Shipyards Galati.

Finally, news from beyond Europe worthy of note concerns delivery of four RAL TRAktor 2700-Z tugs by Dubai’s Grandweld Shipyard to Specialities Construction (SCC) for operation in Shuwaikh Port, Kuwait.

Ghanim-1, 2, 3 and 4 have multirole capabilities including firefighting and oil pollution response and offer in excess of 50tbp via Caterpillar main engines and forward-mounted Kongsberg Z-drives. A DMT escort winch is provided forward with a towing hook aft and oil spill response capabilities include a dispersant system and ability to store recovered oil in three dedicated tanks. Accommodation is provided for up to eight crew, all cabins above main deck level.

8 Sanmar will build

two battery electric tugs for SAAM Towage

MSC TO ACQUIRE RIMORCHIATORI MEDITERRANEI

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co SA has agreed to acquire 100% of the share capital of Rimorchiatori Mediterranei S.p.A. from parent company Rimorchiatori Riuniti.

The taking over of independent towage operators is nothing new in what has always been an evolving industry, particularly so in recent years. The histories of large towage companies often mention previously well-known smaller local operators now part of the larger company but still with their place in history.

Related to this acquisition is that around 2018 MSC, referred to as the world’s largest container shipping line, established its own towage arm entitled MedTug at the time reportedly to give it more direct control over the provision of towage services at ports where its ships called.

MSC’s move is through its wholly owned subsidiary SAS Shipping Agencies Services Sàrl covering acquisition of Rimorchiatori Mediterranei from Riuniti and a fund managed by DWS Group, one of the world’s leading asset managers with a presence in Europe, the Americas and Asia.

Terms of the deal have not been disclosed and completion remains subject to receipt of approvals, including from relevant competition authorities.

“With this transaction, MSC continues to confirm its willingness to further improve towage service efficiency across all Rimorchiatori Mediterranei’s operations,” says MSC.

Rimorchiatori Mediterranei has two shareholders, Rimorchiatori Riuniti and DWS Infrastructure, which has a share of 35% in the former.

MSC will be acquiring a leading global

towage operator that generated a turnover of €100 million from operations in 18 major Italian and international ports, including Italy, Malta, Singapore, Malaysia, Norway, Greece and Colombia, with assets of more than 100 tugs and employing around 600 people. Rimorchiatori Riuniti itself was founded in 1922 so is currently commemorating its 100th anniversary. It says it will keep operating its services in ship owning, ship management and Lebus YP 2019.qxp_Lebus YP 17/12/2019 15:07 Page 1 offshore activities through the 100% controlled companies Crystal Pool and Finarge.

8 MSC employs its own MedTug tugs in Rotterdam

WORKING TO REINVIGORATE LLOYD’S OPEN FORM

The International Salvage Union (ISU) has reported that momentum is building with work to reinvigorate the Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF) standard salvage contract

There was widespread concern within the salvage industry and beyond last year when Lloyd’s indicated it was considering closing its salvage arbitration branch. Recent years have seen a decline in the number of salvage acts using LOF, but the reaction clearly demonstrated that there was a place for this simple and trusted contract intended to protect all parties during situations when time is of the essence and Lloyd’s subsequently initiated a programme of work with key stakeholders to find ways to increase use of the form.

Work has been grouped into three areas; linking LOF to business’s environment, social and governance agendas; promoting more use of LOF in Asia and the Far East and looking at awards and costs associated with the contract. The importance of education about the contract is also considered central throughout the workstreams.

Three working groups are made up of a wide range of interested parties with ISU fully represented on all three, and initial sessions have taken place, the outputs to be considered imminently by the Lloyd’s Salvage Group.

The International Group of leading P&I Clubs recently published its report, prepared by former UK SOSREP Hugh Shaw, investigating delays with emergency response contracting and finding that: “Over 80% of stakeholders felt that ‘avoidable delays’ in the contracting and engagement of salvage services might lead to the escalation of a situation to a point where significant damage, loss and/or danger to life might occur.”

The report noted that few casualties improve with age, delay leading to worsening of the situation with accompanying potential for increased risk to property and consequential damage to the environment.

One factor with delays is where progress in the field of global communications led to “erosion of the authority of masters and deference to shore-based decision making.”

Financial considerations also significantly influenced the choice of contract or salvage services provided.

The report included conclusions and an extensive range of recommendations, all of which will help inform the Lloyd’s LOF workstreams, with ISU saying that rapid intervention and full cooperation in the interests of the owner is always the best approach and its members stand ready to offer their services.

8 Work is

continuing to reinvigorate Lloyd’s Open Form

Shift reaches 17 vessel milestone for tug batteries

Canadian energy services provider Shift Clean Energy has reported its tally for supplying batteries to tugs has now reached 17 vessels.

As the towing industry faces the challenges of meeting emissions targets imposed by regulators along with contributing to the sustainability ambitions of its customers, and of course not forgetting the tug owners’ own desire to offer a ‘green’ and more efficient product, new technology providers have been added to the list of component manufacturers to consider when analysing new tug deliveries.

Batteries have long been included in engine rooms of tugs but the requirement for such energy storage systems (ESS) in the development of hybrid and more recently all-electric tugs has taken this element of each vessel’s components list to another level, so Shift’s latest news is worthy of a closer look.

Shift describes its ESS provision for the 17 tugs as “a major step for decarbonising the marine industry”, mentioning two existing projects for Singapore-based Vallianz and New York-based Zeeboat, along with soon-to-benamed customers for large-scale hybrids set to begin operations in 2023 and 2024.

All-electric tugs, meanwhile, are stated as having economic and environmental advantages, including for each e-tug a reduction of at least 150 tonnes of NOx and 2,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually compared with a conventional tug.

There is more to the overall picture than the batteries, however, and Vallianz is mentioned as partnering with Shift on its E-tug project, currently in manufacture and with ISS on the all-electric Zeeboat.

Brent Perry, Shift’s CEO and founder, said: “We are seeing customers and designers gravitate towards our solutions due to their inherent reliability, long life and safe operations. The Shift powered tugboats are all equipped with built-in fire detection and fire prevention systems. Safety and industryleading cost efficiency are at the core of delivering these projects.”

Damen is providing a range of components for two new pusher tug-barge combinations described as a “rare collaboration” producing the first complete inland vessels built in the Netherlands for a long time.

Damen Marine Components (DMC) produces a range of ancillary components for newbuild vessels and this notable order involves components for client Den Breejen Shipyard from Hardinxveld-Giessendam, which is building the two pusher tug-barge combinations on behalf of Rhenus PartnerShip GmbH & Co. KG in Duisburg.

The package includes FLEX Tunnels, the retractable tunnel system described as “significantly increasing efficiency and versatility of ships”, along with complete six-rudder systems and bow-mounted Rotor Manoeuvring Systems (RMS) for the two combinations. Damen says RMS guarantees course stability even in shallow waters and strong crosswinds, adding that inland shipping’s interest in the system has “grown strongly” in recent years with the low water levels being experienced on inland rivers and waterways.

FLEX Tunnels are retracted and embedded into the hull when the barge is loaded, allowing unobstructed water flow to the propeller. When at shallow draught the propellers are not fully

Naval architects Glosten and technology specialist ABB have joined forces to develop a methanol-hybrid shiphandling tug design.

The vessel will provide “a viable path to carbon-neutral operations while minimising operating costs”, they claim.

“Every tug operator is trying to determine their company’s path through this new hybrid and electric world,” says Dave Lee, VP of sales with global workboat responsibility at ABB Marine & Ports, as he and other tug owners contemplate the different choices around new tonnage.

While various combinations of hybrid propulsion options are now well established, the increasing appearance of alternative fuels and pure battery-powered tugs are adding to those choices. Shiphandling tugs generally lead long lives and owners will want to ensure their new investments are future proofed at a time when technological developments are fast moving and various fuel options face availability and price volatility issues.

The design, referred to as the SA-100, is a 30.48m ASD harbour tug propelled by two methanol-compatible Caterpillar 3512E gensets powering electrically driven L-drives. The gensets are complimented by battery banks for zero-emission operation when transiting, peak shaving during general operation and as a boost for achieving the tug’s peak bollard pull of 90 short tonnes.

The tug was also designed to measure under 100 gross registered tons.

“This is the perfect stepping-off point for those that cannot leap headlong into all-electric propulsion,” says Lee. “With this

DAMEN EQUIPS PUSHERBARGE COMBINATIONS

Credit: Damen Marine Components

8 The tug-barge combination will include a

range of DMC components

immersed, resulting in high resistance and low velocity. FLEX Tunnels are then deployed, guaranteeing water inflow to the propeller, allowing the vessel to sail longer in shallow water and/or take more cargo.

DMC will design, manufacture and install the complete package, including associated hydraulics and controls. It will also supply two Optima nozzles, two high-efficiency propellers, two drive systems to simultaneously synchronise six rudders (three for each rudder) and a SP2700 control system.

DMC has equipped ships with FLEX Tunnels before, the very first being Rhenus Duisburg 10 years ago, still in operation without any problems. It is however the first order from Rhenus for Den Breejen Shipyard.

“We’re an all-round shipyard, but we have never built a ship like this for Rhenus PartnerShip before, so we’re very happy with this collaboration,” said Commercial Manager Ben de Rooy.

Rhenus PartnerShip says it intends to make ground-breaking progress with sustainability and safety, making use of all innovations.

The hull design was developed by maritime research centre DST (Development Centre for Ship Technology and Transport Systems) in Duisburg with the first ship expected to be commissioned by Rhenus in October 2023 and the second in February 2024.

GLOSTEN AND ABB INTRODUCE METHANOL-HYBRID TUG

design, the operator will reap some of the instant power availability and operational savings of an electric vessel, without the need to ‘plug in’ at the dock. At the same time, it will allow them to realise a substantial reduction in EPA criteria emissions.”

Peter Soles, of Glosten, leads the conceptual development of the firm’s tug designs.

“We had three primary design objectives in developing this tug, all intended to benefit the owner/operator,” he said. “First, to provide assurance of regulatory compliance and future adaptability; second, to achieve

8 The methanol-hybrid tug will provide a path to

carbon-neutral operations

meaningful improvement in environmental performance; and lastly, to control OPEX costs such that assist services can still be offered at competitive rates.”

ABB’s field of expertise covers a wide spectrum, including marine, with involvement in virtually all vessel types from offshore to passenger to Coast Guard vessels. Glosten’s area of expertise is also wide ranging and includes development of hydrogen-hybrid as well as methanol-hybrid designs.

TUG OWNERS DEBATE INDUSTRY TRENDS

The European Tugowners Association (ETA) has met in Tenerife to mull over trends in the towing industry

Around 140 delegates, including full and associate members representing 50 companies in the sector and from some of Europe’s “most important” shipowners, gathered at the 59th AGM to discuss various challenges affecting the industry. The event was hosted by local association member Boluda Towage.

ETA’s conference, Trends Impacting Towage Operations, focused on current issues within the maritime market impacting day-to-day operations in the towage industry. Within the shiphandling towage sector, tug owners and operators have to work to the demands and schedules of their customers, trends that are largely out of their control. Olaf Merk, from the International Transport Forum, outlined issues caused by market concentration in the liner shipping sector, such as price hikes and shipment delays, which are creating a logistics crisis in terminals.

Advances in technology and the increasingly complex question of which route to go down to meet local and national emissions regulations, along with demands for sustainability and efficiencies, make for interesting times for both tug owners, vessel designers, shipyards and associated industries. Willem-Jan Hamers, from Redwise Maritime Services, and Steve Dougal, from Century Marine Services, analysed the different trends impacting the sector’s operations, including emissions, digitisation, automation and skills and the best ways the industry can adapt to maintain its competitiveness and the highest safety standards.

Next year, ETA’s work will focus on improving the services given to its members and implementing its strategic vision, including representing the industry’s interests before EU and national institutions to raise awareness of the towage sector.

Thanking delegates, ETA Chairman Vicente Boluda said: “During the discussions we had during the event, the ETA members have shown their attention and concern to different issues like the regulation of the industry´s emissions and the new fuels, technologies and solutions that are under development and which will help the sector reach its common objectives.

“We will keep on working to maintain the current high operative capacities and the safety standards that the maritime industry requires with the permanent goal of a greener and more sustainable future for the sector.”

8 ETA members

debated trends impacting the towing industry at its AGM

Reports highlight hazards can be fatal

CHIRP Maritime has published two reports reminding the industry of the inherent dangers with day-to-day towing operations.

London-Based CHIRP (Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme) is a charitable trust that considers and shares confidential incident reports that may not otherwise be reported through formal reporting processes. Two incidents recounted recently concern the dangers of interaction when tugs are operating close to the bow of ships, and how open hatches led to the sinking of a tug.

The first incident involved a tug connecting to the port bow of a moving roro passenger ferry in high winds, where the tug left the ferry’s ‘safe zone’.

Hydrodynamic interaction drew the two hulls together and the tug’s stern collided with the ferry’s bulbous bow, where it became pinned, leading to the tug heeling, taking on water and capsizing, resulting in the loss of two crew.

The report determined the ferry’s speed through the water was such that the safe zone was further away from the ferry’s hull than at a slower speed, and as the tug was using most of its available power to match the ship’s speed it had minimal reserve power to manoeuvre.

Additional factors included water down-flooding through an open door and engine room ventilation duct, and issues around the training for the pilot-exempt master of the ferry.

The second case involved a towing vessel’s stern compartments flooding during transit, leading to the vessel’s loss. Attempts to pump out the compartments were unsuccessful and the three crew abandoned the vessel and were rescued. The vessel sank close inshore and later recovered, but considered a constructive total loss.

The probable cause was determined to be unsecured or open aft deck hatches, resulting in flooding the aft compartments followed by progressive flooding of other compartments through openings in watertight bulkheads.

The investigating authority noted that in the last five years, it had investigated five casualties involving towing vessels whose weather decks and openings were in poor condition – leading to flooding and subsequent sinking.