Chinese shipyards complete tugs in September

Chinese shipyards have been busy building and delivering several tugboats for both local and international clients during September. These new tugboats are part of major projects to help ports handle ships more efficiently.

At Rizhao Gangda Shipbuilding, a new harbor tug was launched as the first in a series for Rizhao Port, China. This tug is 37 meters long and designed by Robert Allan Ltd. It has a powerful 4,850 kW engine and is built with an azimuth stern drive (ASD), which makes it easier to maneuver in tight spaces. This tug was launched in August 2024 and has a beam of 12 meters. It is expected to be fully ready by the end of this year. Rizhao Port, where this tug will operate, is growing its capacity to dock and undock ships, helping to speed up operations.

Cheoy Lee Shipyards, based in Hong Kong, delivered two more tugs, RS Skye and RS Hunter, to Thailand. These tugs will support ships entering Thai ports. The tugs were designed by Robert Allan Ltd using the Z-Tech 5000 design, which is known for its ASD capabilities. Cheoy Lee also finished a new tug called Verde Gee for Rashied Maritime Services. This tug will help move ships in Egypt’s Port of Adabiya, with more tugs of the same type expected to be completed by late 2024.

Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard Group has also been hard at work, launching and delivering tugboats and barges for a big project under COSCO Shipping Bulk Cargo Transportation Co. These vessels are part of the Belt and Road project, which supports COSCO Shipping’s bauxite export from Guinea, West Africa. On 8 September 2024, the shipyard delivered two tugs and two barges. The tugs are 37 meters long and can pull up to 52 tonnes ahead and 44 tonnes astern. They also have a top speed of 12 knots. The barges are large, 111 meters long and can carry up to 12,000 dwt (deadweight tonnage).

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Additionally, the shipyard launched two more pusher tugs in September, Yick Tug 209 and Yick Tug 2010, both set to be finished by the end of the year. On 6 September, two ASD tugboats were launched: Yi Ming 6 for Jiangsu Zhencheng Tug Shipping Co and Da Hang Tuo 10 for Cangzhou Port.

Construction is also moving forward on two more tugboats at the shipyard, with the keels being laid in September. One is for a 3,824-kW ASD harbor tug for Zhangjiagang Port, and the other is for a multipurpose anchor-handling tug for CCCC First Harbor Engineering Co. These tugs will help with various port operations once completed.