Apr 16, 2013– Vancouver, Canada (Techreleased) – In a significant industry milestone, two new ART 80-32 class Rotor®tugs, the first vessels designed for KST B.V. under the recent Agreement naming Robert Allan Ltd. as the exclusive designer of Rotor®tugs, are to be built by the Damen Shipyards group for owners Elizabeth Ltd. This is the first time that the Damen Group will build a design from Robert Allan Ltd., and it is fitting that such a milestone event should be for this discerning Dutch owner. Kotug has provided significant input into the requirements for this design, and Robert Allan Ltd., has developed a unique, customized design optimized for their operations.
These new Advanced Rotor® Tugs (ART) will incorporate the patented triple Z-Drive Rotor®tug concept, featuring enhanced omni-directional manoeuvrability, and the benefits of a fully redundant and precise propulsion machinery configuration. The Rotor®tugs concept offers increased security for ship-handling and escort towing, as well as enhanced crew safety.
The new tugs are 32m long x 12.6 meters beam, with an installed power of 3 x 1765kW, delivering an expected Bollard Pull of 80 tonnes. The hull form has been developed from Robert Allan Ltd.’s high performance escort tugs and has been adapted to suit the Rotor®tug concept, providing enhanced stability, sea-keeping and escort performance.
The ART 80-32 tugs will also feature a hybrid propulsion system designed and supplied by Aspin, Kemp and Associates. This innovative propulsion system integrates electrical and mechanical energy, and manages it in a way to provide optimal operational modes, resulting in significant environmental and economic savings.
The first of the new Rotor®tug is scheduled for delivery in early 2014.
