A group of influential tug owners provided insights into fleet renewals, AI deployment and increasing efficiency of port operations
Tug owners are seeking cost-effective solutions for cutting emissions from port and towage operations, while raising investment for fleet renewals and business expansion.
Owners are also starting to use artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics for vessel and fleet optimisation and forming alliances to gain commercial opportunities at a time when market consolidation appears to have stalled.
Top executives from some of the largest tug owners and operators across the world provided their insights at Riviera’s 28th ITS Convention in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Many owners present at the convention agreed that implementing data analysis across their fleets, port operations and vessels would generate operational and planning benefits and that emissions from towage operations need to be reduced.
There was also general agreement that fleets would need renewal in the long-term, with more efficient tugs with higher bollard pulls required to handle larger ships in congested waters, but with less environmental impact than current vessels.
Svitzer chief operating officer, Kasper Karlsen, said owners needed assets that would continue operating for 25 to 30 years in different harbours and with reduced emissions, which would be challenging to find without support from ports.
For owners to invest in green tugs, ports need to be prepared to supply alternative fuels and low-cost electricity at quaysides where battery-powered tugs can berth.
“Our ambition is to decarbonise, but we are always thinking about the whole asset life. We do not want to replace propulsion systems, so we need safe bets,” Mr Karlsen said.
“We see electrification as a great solution and we are close to a commercial battery solution. We are building electric tugs on speculation,” he said.
He said electric tugs have higher capital expenditure than diesel-driven tugboats, but are less costly to operate, “making it commercially viable on a total cost of ownership basis compared with conventional fuelled tugs.”
Due to variations in operations and the ports Svitzer’s vessels operate in, its tugboats will still need combustion engines. “Flexibility is key,” he said. “There is no one-size-fits-all.” This is especially true for methods of cutting emissions on the types of tugboats required for coastal or deepsea towage.
Some of the engines on Svitzer’s tugs will be ready for methanol, and many are already using hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) if ports can supply these fuels.
“For future fuels, a regulatory push will be needed,” said Mr Karlsen. “For many of our operations, we cannot pass on fuel costs.” But owners with fuel choices can benefit from price fluctuations. “Diesel prices are volatile and high prices reduce the HVO premium over diesel, so HVO makes more sense,” he added.
