Brazilian owner Wilson Sons has launched the second tug of its multi-vessel newbuilding campaign in Brazil, a sister tug to newbuild WS Centaurus which entered service June 2022
Both tugs were built at Wilson Sons’ shipyard in Guarujá in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state and were designed by Damen.
With engines complying with IMO’s Tier III emissions standards for lowering nitrogen oxide and particulate matter in Brazilian ports and with a bollard pull of around 90 tonnes, these are the most powerful tugs in the nation.
Wilson Sons executive director for towage Marcio Castro updated ITS on the newbuilding programme on the sidelines of the 26th International Tug & Salvage Convention, Exhibition & Awards 2022, held in association with Caterpillar, 28-30 September, in Istanbul, Turkey.
He said the second tug, also named after a star constellation, was out of the shipyard and preparing for sea trials.
Four escort tugs are under construction or on order from the Guarujá shipyard for Wilson Sons’ fleet.
The new vessel is a reverse stern drive (RSD), 25-m long, 13-m beam, fire-fighting-certified (FiFi1) escort tug built to Damen’s hydrodynamic RSD 2513 design with improved hull efficiency that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 14% compared with conventional-hull escort tugs.
Twin fins on the RSD hull improve seaworthiness and increase drag capacity during manoeuvres, which helps reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions.
WS Centaurus began operations in June in São LuÃs, Brazil to support vessels berthing and undocking at the Ponta da Madeira Terminal and the port of Itaqui and Alumar.
Wilson Sons is the largest integrated port-shipping logistics operator in Brazil, serving more than 5,000 clients including shipowners, importers and exporters, oil and gas companies, renewable energy companies and agribusiness.
