Steerprop azimuth thrusters for new tugs

The contract for the units, each delivering 1,610 kW of power, was signed in April 2021 and will be delivered in Q3 in 2021.

“The Robert Allan designed RAmparts 2300_UZM tugs with 50-plus tonnes of bollard pull are very efficient and agile tugs, providing a lot of performance in a compact package,” said Donato Agostinelli, sales manager at Steerprop.

“Since the tugs will be operating in challenging conditions and performing very different tasks throughout their life, the propulsion units must be efficient and reliable under all circumstances. For these reasons, the units also come with our condition monitoring system as standard,” he added.

To increase manoeuvrability, the azimuth thrusters have an electrical steering that is said to enable more efficient use of the main engine’s power than with hydraulic steering whilst giving a constant steering speed. The electrical system can also be upgraded with a battery pack.

“As the steering uses power only when actively turning, it is very energy-efficient,” continued Mr Agostinelli. “In addition, the electrical steering also produces significantly less noise than hydraulic steering systems and requires little service due to its mechanically simple construction.”

“We think this is a great reference to make a re-entry in a segment that is not new to us, but in which we have not been present for a while,” he concluded.