German tug operator H Schramm Towage has taken delivery of a new twin Z-drive tractor tug to support its harbour ship-handling, escort, and towing operations in northern Europe.
Nico was built to a design by Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd. She is the third tug of this design in the operator’s fleet after the earlier Sönke and Bo.
The new tug has a length of 25.3 metres, a beam of 12 metres, a least moulded depth of 4.55 metres, and accommodation for up to six crewmembers. She also features FiFi1 firefighting capability and satisfies IMO Tier III emissions standards.
Propulsion is provided by two Caterpillar 3516E 2,350kW engines driving Kongsberg thrusters, enabling the tug to deliver up to 80 tonnes of bollard pull and a free running speed of 12.5 knots.
Like other vessels in the H Schramm Towage fleet, Nico will be operated around the Elbe River, the Baltic Sea, and the Kiel Canal.