A newbuild first dual-fuel methanol escort and emergency response tug is about to cross the Atlantic en route to British Columbia to tow tankers to an expanded crude export terminal
Kotug Canada is preparing for the arrival of its first dual-fuel methanol escort and emergency response tug in British Columbia after it started a transatlantic voyage at the start of August.
This joint venture between Kotug International and Horizon Maritime had two of these 44-m vessels built by Sanmar Shipyards to a Robert Allan Ltd’s RAsalvor4400-DFM designand with ABS class.
SD Aisemaht, the first of these 996-gt tugs left Turkey and arrived in Algeciras, Spain at the end of July and was in Las Palmas, the Canary Islands, in early August, according to automatic identification system (AIS) data.
A second of these vessels, SD Qwiy Aanitsa Sarah, was still in Turkey undergoing commissioning and sea trials, according to AIS data.
Both will be employed to escort Aframax tankersbetween the expanded crude Trans Mountain Pipelineexport terminalnear Vancouver to the Pacific Oceanalong a route of around 150 nautical miles that includes the Juan de Fuca Straitand the Salish Sea.
“With 115-120 tonnes of bollard pull, they will become among the most powerful escort tugs operating in Canada,” said Kotug in a statement.
“But their impact goes far beyond power. At the heart of the project is a clear ambition to significantly reduce emissions in one of the world’s most demanding marine environments.”
Both vessels have twin ABC 16V DZM methanol-diesel dual-fuel engines from Anglo Belgian Corp (ABC) and two Schottel SRP 710 rudderpropellers, providing a top speed of 15 knots.
Schottel also supplied each tug’s STT 170 side thruster for additional manoeuvrability during tanker escort and emergency towage.
They have exhaust aftertreatment systems to minimise NOx emissions and to comply with IMO Tier III regulations, and hybrid propulsion enabling one engine to drive two thrusters up to a speed of 9.5 knots.
