First Full Size Fully Electric Tug

"Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com" (exage03040) 07/13/2020 at 17:05 • Filed to: boatlopnik, shippositelock, alternative energy, Electric Vehicles

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On 7th July, in Vietnam, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , together with joint venture partner Song Cam Shipyard hosted a keel-laying ceremony for the electric !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! that Damen is building for the Ports of Auckland, New Zealand. The ceremony was attended by Her Excellency Ms. Wendy Matthews, the ambassador of New Zealand to Vietnam and Her Excellency Ms. Elsbeth Akkerman, the ambassador of the Netherlands to Vietnam. Representatives of the Ports of Auckland attended the ceremony remotely via digital communication.

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This is a notable milestone for a very notable vessel – the RSD-E Tug 2513 is the world’s first fully electric tug with 70 tonnes bollard pull.

Following a popular vote in which people were invited to select a name for the new vessel, the Ports of Auckland’s RSD-E Tug 2513 will be named Sparky . Over half of the 8,000 people who participated in the election voted for the name.

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As the world strives to reduce emissions, coastal vessels have a much greater ability to transfer to alternative energy through the virtue of shorter voyages and constant home port tie-ups. New build ferries have taken to LNG storage and natural gas fuelled engines, diesel battery plug-in hybrid and fully electric main power sources for propulsion the past couple years. Tugs have been slightly slower on the uptake still primarily relying on the tried and true diesel power as they have for decades.

The Damen Reversed Stern Drive [RSD] 2513 is a 25m (81ft) long, 13m (43ft) wide harbour/escort tug. It’s used to assist in docking large vessels such as container ships. With fully electric propulsion [RSD-E] it’s capable of developing 3800kW (5094bhp) and capable of 70 tonnes (154,300lbs) of bollard pull (towing force) or just under 90% of the capability of it’s diesel brother. Full bollard pull can be sustained for 30min. However, the tug will operate with lower power for much of its work increasing this time needed between charging. The vessel is said to have the designed capability to be fully charged in just 2 hours with a 1.5MW rated charger. It’s able to be operated with a crew of only 2.

The RSD-E has 2 separate banks of batteries that supply power for propulsion; should one bank fail it will switch to the other and continue providing power. 2 - 1000kW (1340bhp) backup generators are also onboard should complete discharge occur or a problem with both battery banks arise. The generator sets will start and provide power automatically in a matter of seconds should battery power be lost. While powered by the generators the tug is able to provide 40 tonnes (88,200lbs) of bollard pull.

The RSD-E 2513 is stated to cost double that of the diesel RSD 2513 but is projected to save $12 million NZD over the diesel version in its lifespan of 25 years.

-Sourcing from Professional Mariner

Oddly, Kiwis decided against Tuggy McTugface. So much for the commonwealth... Here’s discount Morgan Freeman to hype you up:

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com 07/13/2020 at 17:08

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It’s green.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com 07/13/2020 at 17:10

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I think Sparky McSparkface should’ve been considered. Or Lick My Bollards?

Cool story.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 07/13/2020 at 17:10

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very green

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 07/13/2020 at 17:11

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Yes

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 07/13/2020 at 17:13

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Lick My Bollards is a good one!

Thomas Donohue > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com 07/13/2020 at 17:13

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Sparky McSparkFace

Poor_Sh > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com 07/13/2020 at 17:18

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All that weight aft but 2 Z drives forward... very interesting

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > Poor_Sh 07/13/2020 at 17:24

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Kind of Porsche like? hmmmmmm

They didn’t give specs on the batteries and I’m going to assume that the 2 G enset offset the batteries with the drives. I kind of wish there was slightly more information on the equipment to be used in the build. I found more outside of the Damen website than on.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com 07/13/2020 at 17:24

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Nothing like sea water and high capacity batteries!

BZZZZZT!

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > Snuze: Needs another Swede 07/13/2020 at 17:32

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Ha! However,

What is a diesel electric submarine? ;)

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Thomas Donohue 07/13/2020 at 17:35

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Tug y McTugface

Poor_Sh > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com 07/13/2020 at 17:40

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Lol maybe if Porsche were rear engine FWD

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com 07/13/2020 at 17:49

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Or a nuclear submarine for that matter?

When I was on the boat my fears were, in no particular order - sinking out, fire, and flooding in the battery.

Also, this is a really piece.  And I see you’ve made several nautical themed posts. Do you work in the maritime industry?

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > Snuze: Needs another Swede 07/13/2020 at 18:07

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Definitely dangerous but I’ve always been a fan of well designed steam systems. In a way I kind of wish we made a push for even safer nuclear for power generation but I understand that the waste after service is a huge issue.

Yep, my primary is fire however they’ve developed some awesome suppression systems these days.

Yes, IMO certified junior watchkeeping engineering working towards senior ticket hopefully within (now) 2 years when this Covid crap dies out . Senior tickets in passenger, oil tanker and LNG vessels. Worked various vessels from 1962-2017, self propelled barge to a main line cruise ship. Slow , medium and high speed diesels, steam turbine , gas turbine main engines . Direct drive, cpp, z-drive and azipod propulsion systems.

ranwhenparked > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com 07/13/2020 at 19:56

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That would be fantastic for one of those tugboat-style mini yachts. 

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com 07/13/2020 at 21:34

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i’m curious what the operating/downtime ratio for tugboats are. I could imagine an hour of high stress followed by few of nothing which they probably have to idle to keep temps up .

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 07/14/2020 at 01:33

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From the description it sounded like they figured it can last a while, I read something like ‘3 shifts’. But I think you’re right, a lot of the times the harbor tugs kind of do station keeping and guiding with low power, it’s only coming alongside they really use their  power. Auckland sort of stated that even normally they wouldn’t be using full power with the tug even at critical points just because the vessels going into port aren’t monsters.

I would have liked to have seen a theoretical with hours but the equipment and it’s specs are kind of hush. Perhaps once it’s built I can revisit.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com 07/14/2020 at 23:02

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my dad had various construction equipment and idling could be 25-50% of the time. S cale that up 100 times and that has to be a huge fuel bill. hmm google

http://www.professionalmariner.com/May-2008/Fuel-management-for-tugs-becoming-an-increasing-challenge/

Modern tugs, with power ratings of 3,000 to 5,000 hp, burn large amounts of fuel when operating at full rpm — anywhere from 100 to 200 gallons per hour for a harbor tug pushing against a ship,  

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com 07/17/2020 at 22:04

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I was in the Navy for 6 years, I was an Electrician’s Mate, nuclear, qualified submarines. I got out and went back to school and got an engineering degree and I spent a few years working for a naval architect, designing combatant craft for the Navy. Now I work directly for the Navy as a test engineer. I love it, I get to travel a lot and play with a lot of ships and submarines, though sometimes I miss sailing and wonder what it would have been like to go the civilian mariner route.

It sounds like you’ve got a heck of a career with a lot of experience on all kinds of different platforms.  That’s fantastic!

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > Snuze: Needs another Swede 07/18/2020 at 01:33

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Oooooooo, so the original remark was an uber factious hahah.

Oh right on, my father is a marine electrician so he sort of spurred me into this whole deal. I would have somewhat liked to go the design route but really my capacity to retain via letters and numbers on pages isn’t the best, I’m a pretty decent operator but I have mild red-green colour blindness, which excludes me topside. I personally love to push things to the limits and solve problems so I’d probably would enjoy what you’re up to.

I have my ups and downs with the trade. It seems like either I don’t work or I’m worked way too hard. It’s why I’ve been bouncing around a bit. Most sailors have an issue with the regulatory body in Canada; getting the sea-time to test is a pain in the ass, the testing is completely archaic, and they purposely fail people first try for senior tickets by making up BS. There’s some interesting stuff to deal with onboard though due to the IMO Marpol really kicking into effect the past decade.

It’s kind of strange I’ve managed to see so much equipment, I’ve only served for a decade now. I sort of joke the only things I haven’t seen are triple expansion steam and nuclear plants, water jet and voith schneider propulsion.

Even though I’m not your countrymen, I’d like to thank you for your service. Understandably many things that are developed for the military trickle down into civi side as well and make our lives easier .

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com 07/21/2020 at 21:53

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Oh yes, I was being very facetious.

I had a coworker at my last job who was a former US Merchant Marine and he said similar feelings, its either all or nothing. That’s why he left and came to that company, he had gotten married, was starting a family and wanted a more stable 9 to 5 type job, but still wanted to be involved in the marine industry.

I actually did some work up in Canada with that company at Irving Shipbuilding up in Halifax on the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship . T he work was very interesting, although at times difficult. I think they really got in over their heads, and their original design agent wasn’t very good, which is why they brought us in. The company is still doing work up there on the AOPS as well as y’alls new destroyer, er, surface combatant. I loved it up there, Halifax is a great town, everyone is super friendly (the Canadian stereotype is ture) and t he Canadian Navy folks were great to work with. And man, you f%#$ers can drink!

And you’re welcome, thank you for your support. We all have to be brothers and sisters and look out for each other on the high seas. And the Canadian Navy is a great ally. Did y ou know it was the HMCS Athabaska n  that first went to the aid of the USS Princeton when she struck a mine during Desert Storm ?