ice breaking tug for sakhalin project

The Norwegian naval architect firm Multi Maritime, designer of highly specialised icebreakers, has, with Rieber Shipping AS and shipbuilder Aker Langsten, developed a new icebreaking tug design.

The Aker Langsten newbuilding is to be delivered mid 2006 to Rieber Shipping which has, with the Russian oil tanker operator, Primorsk Shipping, entered into a 15 year charter with Exxon Neftegas Limited, a key participant of the Sakhalin-I Consortium and subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation.

The hull will be constructed by Aker Tulcea, Romania, and outfitted and commissioned at Aker Langsten AS in Tomrefjord, Norway. When completed, the tug will undertake a wide range of duties. The ice season function of the tug is to maintain navigable passage and to move personnel between the port of De-Kastri near the Sakhalin island in northeastern Russia, and the single point moorings (SPM). In addition, the tug is to support the escort icebreakers in performing ice management and mooring duties at the SPM.

During the open water season, the tug will provide tethered tanker escort to assist in tanker heading and/or speed control. It will also be required to assist with controlling the position of the tanker bow relative to the SPM which will require tethered push/pull manoeuvring at the bow.

With a hull length of 73.60 metres and a beam of 17 metres, the vessel will have an icebreaking capability according to Icebreaker ICE-10 class notation, will be designed to the highest DNV and Russian Class specifications and be equipped for oil recovery and fire-fighting operations. The vessel will have a diesel electric power plant comprising of four 2,500kW diesel gensets in addition to two auxiliary 1,450kW gensets driving two 4.5MW azimuthing propellers.