Schottel sets new propulsion benchmark in Australia

All seven barges and two of the seven tugs are new ship building projects underway at COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry yards in Zhoushan and Guangdong, China.

Five barges are already operating at Western Australia’s Port of Ashburton, with all remaining units, including the tugs, scheduled for delivery in 2026.

“The combination of Schottel thrusters and Schottel PropControl for the Azimuthing Stern Drive (ASD) tugs has been fundamental to the success of the transhipping operation,” said Jeff Weber, executive general manager at MinRes Marine.

Offshore transhipping demand

The project highlights growing demand for specialised barge propulsion and tug propulsion technologies as offshore transhipping expands.

Schottel’s tailored solutions were essential for navigating the project’s shallow-water and offshore challenges. The Articulated Tug and Barge (ATB) configuration further enhances manoeuvrability offshore.

“Together with MinRes, a reliable setup was developed that not only meets the specific operational demands of the Onslow Iron project but also sets high standards for flexibility in transhipping operations,” added Tobias Oser, sales director merchant at Schottel.

Each 20,000-tonne barge uses two Schottel PumpJets SPJ 320, delivering full thrust even at minimal draught, a critical requirement for operations in the port.

The newbuild tugs will feature Schottel RudderPropellers SRP 610 and TransverseThrusters STT 1 to optimise positioning accuracy during loading.

A standout innovation is Schottel PropControl, enabling steering from the barge wheelhouse and allowing any tug, regardless of its propulsion system, to connect to any barge, ensuring continuous and flexible operations.