Svitzer, a leading global towage provider and part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, has today announced the purchase of a new tug to support terminal operations in Milford Haven, UK. The addition of the Svitzer Pembroke to the UK fleet will free up the 86-tonne bollard pull ASD tug Svitzer Ramsey for relocation to London to cater for expected growth at the River Thames and River Medway.

The Svitzer Pembroke was originally built for Svitzer at Zamakona Shipyard, Spain, but in 2014 the vessel was sold, and has operated under the name Boa Odin for the past eight years. The 100-tonne bollard-pull ASD tug has both aft towing winch and firefighting capabilities. This makes the Svitzer Pembroke uniquely suited to supporting Svitzer’s Terminal activities at Milford Haven and strengthens the existing fleet’s emergency response capability.

The arrival of the Svitzer Pembroke in Milford Haven allows Svitzer to redeploy the Svitzer Ramsey to London, where escort tugs with bollard pull from 80 tonnes and upward, plus fire fighting capabilities, are becoming increasingly important for serving customers effectively on River Thames and River Medway.

Commenting on the acquisition, Kasper Karlsen, Chief Operating Officer, Svitzer Europe and interim head of Svitzer in the UK said: “With the purchase of Svitzer Pembroke, we simultaneously accomplish two key goals. Increasing our minimum 80 tonnes bollard pull fleet in London from 6 to 7 tugs allows us to better meet current and future customer demands there. At the same time, we are able to strengthen our ability to provide emergency services and towing at Milford Haven. We are very pleased to once again have Svitzer Pembroke in our fleet.”

The newly reacquired tug has already arrived in the UK and will return to service in the coming months.

Svitzer currently operates more than 70 tugs in the UK and has around 650 employees. The UK has been the launching off point for the company’s EcoTow project, with Svitzer’s entire fleet London, Felixstowe, Southampton and Scotland switching to low carbon biofuels. The service is set to be rolled out across the remaining ports in the UK and across Svitzer’s global operations.

The Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) Tug 2811 TSM Odet was delivered to Thomas Services Maritimes (TSM) at their establishment in Sète at the French Mediterranean coast on 21 June 2022. The powerful vessel is built to the highest standards of safety, performance and comfort and equipped for both handling ships in harbours and sea towage.

The Damen ASD Tug 2811 has 60 tons of bollard pull. It is a highly manoeuvrable tug with ergonomic deck lay-out, allowing easy access to winches, bollards and fairleads. The 360 degrees rotating thrusters – propellers in nozzles – generate high towing power and provide ease of manoeuvring. Through slipping clutches these Kongsberg thrusters seamlessly work together with the powerful Caterpillar main engines. This results in economic and fuel efficient operations.

TSM Odet was built at the Damen Song Cam yard in Vietnam and sailed on her own keel to Port of Sète, which took just over 50 days, consuming just over 3 m³ of fuel per day. The rounded hull shape of the Damen ASD Tug 2811 is based on the successful ASD 2810 model and is considered as one of the most efficient hull forms for tugs. TSM will employ the new vessel in port operations, terminal operations and sea towage. TSM Odet is equipped with a high capacity aft winch to allow for open sea towing operations. The vessel is furthermore equipped with a state of the art digital Alarm, Monitoring & Control System (AMCS), which integrates data from all systems on board, connected by sensors and controls. This connectivity also allows for remote monitoring, enabling owners to optimise fleet performance and efficiency. Firefighting equipment (FiFi-1) was installed, as well as a deck crane. The vessel is equipped with a winterisation package that increases overall energy efficiency. The HVAC system uses excess heat from the engines. Damen double glazing safety glass increases comfort when heating or air conditioning is engaged.

The unique Damen philosophy of standardisation of vessels allows for easy maintenance and rapid availability of equipment and components. TSM has already gained good experience with the Damen quality and service following the 2021 delivery of the two RSD 2513 tugs TSM Rouen and TSM Honfleur.

TSM owns and operates 25 vessels and offers marine services to the offshore renewables industry, harbour and sea towage. The company was established in 1905 and has built an impressive maritime legacy. 175 staff work at TSM. It is based at the French port of Rouen, with subsidiaries in various French ports like Dieppe, Brest, Bordeaux and Sète.

Maersk Supply Service has steadily been reducing its emissions since 2018 through a combination of initiatives, such as energy-efficient operations and technical upgrades. In line with this, the firm set targets to halve its carbon intensity by 2030 and reach net-zero operations by 2040. 

Allan Rasmussen, Head of Decarbonisation at Maersk Supply Service, remarked: “We have a strong strategy and a dedicated team in place to achieve our goals, and are working on a number of different fronts from behavioural optimisation to biofuel to existing technological solutions. The hybrid power system comes as part of our exploration of new technologies and is an important part of our decarbonisation journey.”

Maersk Supply Service informedon Wednesday that its AHTS vessel, Maersk Minder, has “successfully completed” sea trials off the west coast of Norway, following a hybrid-electric propulsion upgrade. The company added that this vessel is now “believed to be the world’s first hybrid-electric anchor handler.”

Three upgrades for Maersk Minder

Back on 31 March 2022, the vessel docked at Fitjar Mekanisk Verksted in Norway for the installation of a battery – a container-based hybrid power system built by Wärtsila – which is expected to reduce the anchor handler’s fuel consumption, and thus carbon emissions, by 15 per cent, along with curbing the vessel’s maintenance needs and improving operational performance.

The company explained that the battery system entails an energy storage system (ESS), comprised of 132 smaller batteries, and a transformer, which is controlled and monitored via an energy management system (EMS).

According to Maersk Supply Service, one of the emissions-reducing advantages of the hybrid system is the facilitation of peak shaving, meaning the batteries can deliver extra power quickly to avoid spikes in power consumption.

The firm says that this leads to a “significant efficiency improvement,” since, the motors can run with optimal load and use the batteries to absorb a large part of the load fluctuations.

Mark Handin, COO at Maersk Supply Service, commented: “The installation of this battery system is a significant step for Maersk Supply Service and demonstrates our commitment to decarbonising our fleet. As we continue to follow an ‘every step matters’ approach, this represents an important milestone in our long-term journey towards carbon-neutral operations.”

The Denmark-based player elaborated that the battery system was not the only upgrade fitted on the AHTS Maersk Minder while it was in Fitjar, as this was ”one of three retrofits aimed at improving ocean health through decarbonisation, air pollution reduction, and protecting biodiversity.”

In line with this, a Selective Catalyst Reduction (SCR) system was fitted to the exhaust to reduce the vessel’s nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions – produced by the ship’s combustion engine – by an average of 80 per cent. The SCR works by mixing a urea solution with the exhaust fumes, creating a reaction that removes the NOx from the flue gas stream, bringing the vessel in line with the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) recent Tier III emissions standards, even though they are only recommended for vessels built after 2021.

Based on Maersk Supply Service’s statement, the final “major upgrade” was the installation of a Ballast Water Treatment System (BWTS), designed to remove biological organisms from ballast water and prevent accidentally carrying and introducing aquatic invasive species into new waters.

The company pointed out that the BWTS, which was fitted to this AHTS, uses a two-step process, first filtering the ballast water through a miniscule 20µ filter, then using UV light to eradicate any remaining hitchhiking aquatic lifeforms including bacteria, microbes, small invertebrates, eggs, cysts and larvae of various species. This cleansing process fulfils another IMO requirement and is “critical to protecting marine ecosystems, by preventing the spread of invasive species that can out-compete their native counterparts.”

Upon completion of these three installations, the AHTS Maersk Minder took to the sea on 11 June 2022 to undergo six days of sea trials offshore Bergen, Norway. Maersk Supply Service disclosed that the testing period covered Wärtsila’s tuning of the battery system, Kongsberg Maritime’s DP tuning and CAT (Customer Acceptance Test), full FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis) proving trials, shore power trials, and state of health trials.

“This rigorous testing process is standard after any upgrade, but is safety-critical since it involves a systematic run down of every possible security scenario to ensure the vessel is fit for operations – and that our seafarers will be safe at sea,” added the company.

(Source: Offshore Energy)

With the delivery of said vessels, Svitzer will increase its presence to a total of six vessels in the Suez Strait region which consists of Port Said and Port Suez.

Med Marine delivered the first boat at the end of April 2022.

Commenting on the contract, Melis Üçüncü, Sales Manager of Med Marine, said:

We are proud to be delivering another first class tugboat to Svitzer. We are looking forward to next ones to further strengthen our partnership.

The tugboat’s specifications include:

LENGTH O.A. 28,40 m

BEAM 13,00 m DEPTH 5,40 m

DRAFT BASELINE 4,10 m

DRAFT EXTREME 5,70 m

GROSS TONNAGE < 500

BOLLARD PULL 75 tons

SPEED 12 knots (approx.)

MAIN ENGINES CATERPILLAR 3516C/ 2×2100 kW @ 1600 rpm

EMISSION STANDARD IMO Tier II

ASD PROPOLSION UNITS 2X KONGSBERG US 255S FP with slipping clutch for FIFI 1

ACCOMMODATION 10 people with MLC Compliance

“The Hermes is the latest addition to our fleet and joins Nike, her sister ship commissioned from Master Boat Builders last year. Hermes demonstrates Master Boat Builders’ advanced workmanship and ability to deliver modern, cutting-edge marine technology. We look forward to continuing to deliver service excellence and offering our customers a safe and versatile towing option,” said Daniel Thorogood, Chief Executive Officer of Seabulk. 

“As an Advanced Rotortug, Hermes utilizes the latest technology for safe, dependable operations,” said Garrett Rice, President of Master Boat Builders. “Master Boat Builders is proud of our partnership with Seabulk and will continue to deliver top-of-the-line tugs for their growing fleet.”

The Hermes is a high-powered, maneuverable vessel that will provide ship assists in Port of Mobile servicing Seabulk’s customers, particularly shipyards and container liners. The tug is built to meet USCG regulations and is classed through the American Bureau of Shipping, including escort notation. The vessel has an overall length of 98.5 feet, beam of 43.5 feet, and bollard pull of 80 tons. The vessel will feature three Caterpillar main engines (3512E), EPA Tier 4 certified and each producing 2,375 HP, along with two Schottel Z-Drive thrusters (SRP 430FP).

The Karya Pacific 2232 is a TRAder 2700 steel tug designed especially for PT. Karya Teknik Utama by Robert Allan Ltd. The drive is conventional shaft propulsion, with or without nozzles. The Karya Pacific 2232 is fitted with open screws.

The tug is designed for towing barges in the Indonesian archipelago where depth of water is sometimes limited. As the name implies, the first tug of this series will operate in the fleet of PT. Karya Pacific Shipping, a sister company of the shipyard. Three more are under construction, one more with open screws and two with nozzles.

Key particulars of the Karya Pacific 2232 are:

• Length, overall: 27.1 m
• Beam, ex fenders: 8.8 m
• Depth amidships: 4.0 m
• Draft (navigational): 3.0 m
• Gross Tonnage: 245

The Karya Pacific 2232 was designed to ABS rules with the following notation:

American Bureau of Shipping, ✠ A1 Towing Vessel, Ⓔ, ✠ AMS, Unrestricted Navigation

However, it was built under Biro Klasifikasi Indonesia (BKI) survey

Tank capacities of the Karya Pacific 2232 are:

• Fuel oil: 78 m³
• Potable water: 51 m³
• Sewage tank: 11 m³

Accommodations are outfitted for a crew of 12. An alternate MLC compliant arrangement is also available for a crew of 10.

Main propulsion consists of a pair of Yanmar 6EY17w 6-cylindar in line diesel engines, each rated 837 kW at 1450 rpm, and each driving a Yanmar YXH-500L 4.96:1 reverse reduction gear. Shafts are 165 mm stainless steel turning 2000 mm 4-bladed open propellers. Although engines and gears are hard mounted the tug is surprisingly smooth and quiet.

The electrical plant consists of two (2) Yanmar generators.

On trials, the Karya Pacific 2232 exceeded performance expectations with the following results:

• Bollard pull: 23.3 tonnes
• Free running speed, ahead: 12.3 knots

The spacious wheelhouse is ASD tug style with split consoles and excellent all-around visibility.

“Master Boat Builders is humbled by the vote of confidence from Polaris New Energy to request construction of a sister ship to Polaris, which was delivered earlier this year,” said Garrett Rice, President of Master Boat Builders. “We are incredibly excited to continue this relationship with such a well-respected company in the industry.”

The sister ship to Polaris will be coupled with a barge currently under construction at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Company and will form a Jones Act-compliant articulated tug barge (ATB) to help fuel the cruise ship industry’s new LNG-powered ships in Port Canaveral in Florida. The tug is expected to be delivered to PNE Marine Holdings, LLC in 2023. 

The Defence Materiel Administration of Sweden ordered four ice-class tugs from Damen Shipyards with options four two extra, that will be equipped with numerous options. A heavy duty crane, bow thrusters, an extra strong aft winch and more will be installed on the vessels of the Damen Stan Tug 1606 design, which is extended to 17 meters length over all to fit all the options. Engines comply to IMO Tier III emission regulations.

The tender that FMV (Försvarets Materielverk, the organisation that acquires all necessary equipment for the Swedish armed forces) wrote for ice class tenders was won by Damen. A trusted partner was needed that could deliver vessels of proven performance. Standardised designs by Damen ensure this reliability and allow for the extensive range of optional equipment that the operators in the naval harbours require.

Along with the options mentioned, heating and airconditioning, a galley with settee and toilet will complete crew safety and comfort aboard. The twin screw tug will be powered by two Volvo D13 MH engines. Exhaust silencing, SCR (selective catalyc reduction – to remove nitrogen dioxide from exhaust gasses) and soot filters will ensure IMO Tier III  compliance. An auxiliary generator delivers extra electric power needed for crane handling. Bilge cooling ducts transfer engine heat into the waters from a closed loop system, without take-in of surface water in which ice particles could block the engine cooling system.  The push knee on the tugs’ bows will be adapted to navigating in ice.

Mr Patric Hjorth, Director Naval Division, said: “This is the second order FMV placed with Damen Shipyards. This series of new harbour tugs is part of our fleet renewal program. Damen has proven to be the right partner for this project. Their experience with state of the art tug boats as well the ability to maintain the vessel during their lifetime and deliver excellent service from their local yard in Sweden has positioned them well to support and advise us in our mission to provide the Swedish Navy with reliable and smooth sailing vessels.”

Martin Verstraaten, Damen Sales Manager, said: “Throughout the tender process, the collaboration between all parties has been excellent. Implementing FMV’s special demands in our proven design and combining our operational knowledge and shipbuilding experience has resulted in a compliant solution that offers real value for money.”

The four vessels will be built at the Albwardy Damen yard in Dubai. This yard recently completed construction of six Stan Tug 1606 vessels. The lengthened design for FMV will profit from the building experience at the yard. FMV previously ordered two Damen ASD 3010 ice class tugs, positive experience with these vessels as well as the cooperation with Damen played a role in their choice to select Damen for the construction of these four STu 1706 ICE tugs. The lengthened tugs for FMV get their own type name. The vessels are to operate in the Stockholm harbour (2x) and in Karlskrona (2x). Two more ice class tugs of the same design are on option, these are to operate in the western parts of Sweden. The Damen Oskarshamnsvarvet in the south-east of Sweden will act as a service hub for the FMV tugs.

The four Stan Tugs will be delivered in Sweden by the end of 2023.

The Azimuth Stern Drive tug Plis Fos was launched from the vertical ship lift at the Damen Song Cam Shipyard on May 3^rd. Following sea trials, the vessel will sail on her own keel from Vietnam to the Isle of Martinique in the Caribbean Sea, where she will be taken into service at the Port of Fort de France by SOMARA.

With approximately 85 tons of bollard pull, the 27,59 meter length over all tug with 12,93 meter beam will take care of manoeuvring the largest ships that enter the Port of Fort de France. Thanks to her twin 3 meter diameter propellers in nozzles that rotate 360 degrees, the vessel also delivers almost 80 tons of bollard pull backwards. Two Caterpillar engines deliver 5050 kW combined. Thanks to exhaust gas aftertreatment, the ASD Tug 2813 is compliant to IMO Tier III emission standards, ensuring clean operations with minimal environmental impact in the Martinique waters. This tug has extensive outfitting, including the aft winch. This makes Plis Fos a versatile vessel, capable of multiple tasks like offshore towing, salvage, ship handling in ports and more. It will be the strongest and most modern tug in the Caribbean, upgrading the regional fleet and placing SOMARA in a competitive place for years ahead.

“We are very pleased to have chosen this state of the art tug proposed by Damen because it was meeting with all our expectations,” says Jean Pierre Porry, president of SOMARA. “Also, because we are very pleased with the recent delivery of a Damen Multi Cat, it is without hesitation that we placed this new order. This tug will enable us to follow the needs expressed by our clients and the Grand Port Maritime de la Martinique in terms of bollard pull but also in terms of low emissions. Everyone at SOMARA is looking forward to the tug Plis Fos starting her operations.”

Delivery to SOMARA at Port of Fort de France is planned in the second half of 2022.