During the past month, fast growing towage company KOTUG International has strengthed its tug fleet in Germany due to the growth of its business in German ports and the increasing size of its clients’ ships.

The company also commenced shiphandling services recently at the new German deep sea port of Wilhelmshaven. In order to meet those commitments two brand new tractor tugs, ZP Bulldog and ZP Boxer, have been deployed to Hamburg and one new ‘Rotor Tug’, the RT Ambition, has been put into service at Bremerhaven.

ZP Bulldog and ZP Boxer are Damen ‘Azimuth Tractor Drive Tugs 2412 twin-fin’, ordered by Elisabeth Ltd in Malta and chartered by the KOTUG Group. The tugs were required urgently and a quick delivery and quality were key factors in the choice of these powerful and compact tractors. Damen Services arranged the transport from Vietnam to Rotterdam and, after repainting in KOTUG colours, the tugs were equipped and prepared to commence their towage activities in the Port of Hamburg, in mid-November.

The tugs were constructed and fitted out to a very high standard in Damen’s Song Thu Shipyard in Viet Nam, in accordance with the class requirements of Lloyd’s Register X 100 A1 Tug [X] LMC UMS.

The Damen ATD Tug 2412 ‘twin fin’ is an extremely compact, highly manoeuvrable, tractor tug with two azimuthing propulsion units forward and the towing winch aft. With a length overall of 24.74m and maximum beam of just 12.63m, the hull is almost elliptical in plan view. Considerable research and development went into the final underwater configuration. Unlike many tractor tugs, the vessel has two fins aft in place of the usual skeg. The fins are positioned in line with the propulsion units, one on either side, and give the tug excellent course stability without impairing its exceptional manoeuvrability and precise control.

ZP Bulldog and ZP Boxer are extremely powerful tugs for their small size. Two Caterpillar 3516C TA HD/D diesels generate a total of 5,600 bhp at 1,600 rpm. Power is transmitted to a pair of Rolls-Royce US 255 fully steerable propulsion units with ‘built-in’ slipping clutches and 2,600mm diameter propellers and nozzles.

On trials a bollard pull of 67.5 tonnes was achieved with a maximum speed ahead of 12.5 knots and 11.9 knots astern. With their spectacular agility and bollard pull the tugs are ideally suited to handling large ships in the confined waterways of Hamburg and similar busy ports.

The ATD 2412 has a very spacious work deck with heavy ‘D’ section rubber fendering all round and additional tubular and moulded block sections aft. A hydraulically powered towing winch is installed, with a single split drum. The maximum brake load is 150 tonnes and a line pull of 33 tonnes at 11m/min.

A modern Damen style wheelhouse is designed, along with location of the exhaust uptakes and chamfered superstructure, to offer good 360° visibility for the captain. The superstructure design and steeply angled uptakes also provide adequate clearance while working close to the flared bow and stern of most modern ships.

The accommodation aboard ZP Bulldog and ZP Boxer is all at deck level, within the superstructure. The living space is fitted out for four persons in two single and one double berth cabin. A galley, mess room and all the normal facilities are provided.

The delivery of ZP Bulldog and ZP Boxer brings the total number of tugs purchased from Damen Shipyards in the past year to five. Three ASD Tug 2810, SD Ranger, SD Rebel and SD Rover were delivered in April of this year.

Another arrival in Germany during November was KOTUG´s new RotorTug, RT Ambition. The tug left the ASL Shipyard in Singapore on 22 September on the long delivery voyage under its own power direct to Bremerhaven.

RT Ambition is the eleventh vessel in a series of fourteen sister vessels built at either the ASL Shipyard in Singapore or Niigata Shipyards in Japan and and a part of KOTUG´s comprehensive fleet expansion and renewal program. A total of 27 Rotor Tugs have been built and put into service since the first vessels entered service in 1999, including 10 sold or chartered to other operators.

This latest Rotor Tug has a length overall of 32m, a beam of 12m, and a maximum draft of 6.45m. The unique triple-unit propulsion system is powered by three Niigata 6L28HX main engines delivering a total of 6,456 bhp to drive three Niigata ZP-31FP propulsion units. The result is a maximum bollard pull of 87.2 tonnes towing astern and 80.8 tonnes ahead and a top speed of 12 knots.

An important feature of the Rotor Tug’s performance is its ability to move quickly and precisely in any direction forwards, astern or sideways and, if required, exert most of its bollard pull. All three propulsion units can be controlled independently or by a computerised single controller.

Towing winches are installed fore and aft enable the RT Ambition to undertake a wide variety of towage work, both in harbour and offshore. The forward double drum winch carries a 600m steel wire towline on one drum and 200m of 80mm diameter synthetic Ultraline on the other.

A comprehensive outfit of navigational equipment is provided along with communications equipment to GMDSS A2 standard.

Accommodation comprises two single cabins and two double berth cabins and one ‘smokers’ cabin equipped with two hinged bunks.
 

منبع: Maritime News