Damen Shipyards Group has announced that two of its RSD-E Tugs 2513 have been shortlisted for the ITS Tug of the Year Award. The two vessels are Bu Tinah, in operation with AD Ports subsidiary Noatum Maritime, and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges’ tug Volta 1.
The vessels are the first fully electric tugs to operation in the Middle East and Europe, respectively. Following her delivery, Bu Tinah very quickly made a name for herself, securing a Guinness World Record title for Most Powerful Electric Tugboat.
The record was set when the tug’s bollard pull was measured in action at AD Ports’ flagship facility, Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi. This achievement demonstrates that, with the RSD-E Tug 2513, the transition to alternative energy sources does not come at the cost of performance.
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges has operated three conventional propulsion RSD Tugs 2513 since 2021. It was the successful performance of these vessels that led the port to place an order for the fully electric version. Damen has also delivered the tug’s 1.5 megawatt charger and onshore charging infrastructure.
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050. Its fleet renewal programme is part of the process it is taking towards this goal. In addition to the RSD-E Tug 2513, last year the port also took delivery of five RSD Tugs 2513.
Each of these vessels is fully compliant with IMO Tier III regulations. This results from the installation of a Damen Marine NOX Reductions System, an in-house developed selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system that reduces exhaust emissions up to 80%.
The RSD Tug 2513 is an innovative ship-handling solution. The design combines elements of ASD tugs and tractor tugs to provide an always bow first approach to towage.
At just 25m in length, the vessel is compact enough for the modern port operation. It also offers sufficient power, with the electric version able to deliver 70 tonnes of bollard pull. The vessel can perform a minimum of two towage operations on a single charge and can be recharged in just two hours.
