Damen sells first hybrid tug to Dutch owner More and more consumers are considering buying hybrid cars because of the rising price of gas, environmental responsibility and increasing availability and lower cost of the technology at car dealerships. With operators under increasing environmental regulatory pressure and fuel prices on the rise, Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards is trying to bring that same practical approach and lower cost technology to the marine market. “In the past, many green solutions were simply too expensive for the tugboat market,” says Erik van Schaik, Design & Proposal Engineer, Damen Tugs. “We were very mindful that this vessel had to cut fuel and emissions, but at the same time it had to be positioned at an attractive price for the market. We wanted to make being green commercially attractive, too.” While van Schaik notes that a hybrid tug costs about 10% more than a similar conventional tug, the vessel operator will benefit from substantial fuel savings. Depending on the operating profile of a tug, the ASD 2810 Hybrid, which has dieseldirect and diesel-electric propulsion, yields
average fuel savings of between 10% and 30% and cuts local emissions by 20 to 60%. The vessel has a bollard pull of 60 tonnes. In addition, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, such as NOx, SOx and Particulate Matter, is becoming increasingly important as new Emissions Control Areas (ECAs) and tighter diesel engine regulations from IMO and the U.S. EPA, are implemented. Damen started building hybrid tugs for stock and sold its first, the ASD 2810 Hybrid, to Dutch towing company Iskes Towage & Salvage, IJmuiden, the Netherlands, on Oct. 23 at Offshore Energy in Amsterdam. The pioneering Dutch shipyard group is believed to be the only yard worldwide building hybrid tugs for stock. The second hybrid vessel will be available from stock by the end of 2013.
Iskes Towage is no stranger to the ASD 2810 design tug. It has been operating a conventional ASD 2810 since November 2011. Iskes owner and Managing Director Jim Iskes says the next “logical move [was] to choose Damen for the Hybrid version.” Iskes has been exploring its own green tug solutions, working with Offshore Ship Designers on researching a hydrogen hybrid tug. As an option, Damen is also offering a battery pack on its hybrid that will make possible to shutdown all of the engines during station keeping, maneuvering and free sailing at low speeds, making the tug even more environmentally friendly. Battery packs of 100 kWh each are likely to be provided, which would allow the tug to sail up to 5 knots.
www.corena.com/shipdex/
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION! CORENA is a global software company and one of the world’s leading suppliers of solutions managing the production, publishing, and distribution of technical documentation for complex equipment. Using international standards such as Shipdex™ to develop and maintain your technical documentation can lower your costs, increase quality - and maybe even save lives.
www.marinelog.com
NOVEMBER 2012 marine log 17