The Panama Canal Authority (PCA) has taken delivery of the first hybrid electric tug in a new series of ten built at the Vigo facilities of Armon Shipyard in Spain.
The tug has been named Isla Barro Colorado after an island in the middle of the Panama Canal.
The PCA said the tug, which measures 28.9 metres (94.8 feet) long and 14 metres (46 feet) wide – making her nearly similar in size to an earlier series of tugs also built by Armon for the canal authority – combines advanced technology with an innovative design. This ensures her suitability for executing complex manoeuvres daily at the Panama Canal.
A maximum draught of 6.2 metres (20 feet) will meanwhile allow the tug to easily operate alongside the larger, deep-draught ships that are cleared to pass through the canal.
The tug’s hybrid electric setup includes a 445kW battery pack that can supply additional propulsive power. The PCA said the system can also help reduce local emissions to enable the canal to meet its environmental sustainability goals.
The tug is powered by two 2,331kW (3,126 hp) engines connected to Twin Disc MCD5000 drives and that deliver a bollard pull of 80 tons. It also boasts a Fifi1 firefighting system and an ergonomically laid out interior that provides optimal living and working conditions for the crew.
The acquisition of Isla Barro Colorado and her sisters will enable the PCA to reduce its reliance on charted tugs.
| Isla Barro Colorado | |
| SPECIFICATIONS | |
| Type of vessel: | Harbour tug |
| Flag: | Panama |
| Owner: | Panama Canal Authority |
| Builder: | Armon Shipyard, Spain |
| Length overall: | 28.9 metres (94.8 feet) |
| Beam: | 14 metres (46 feet) |
| Draught: | 6.2 metres (20 feet) |
| Main engines: | 2 x 2,331 kW (3,126 hp) |
| Propulsion: | 2 x Twin Disc MCD5000 |
| Bollard pull: | 80 tons |
| Batteries: | 445 kW |
| Operational area: | Panama Canal |