Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd has been selected to design a new ship assist tug for Harbor Docking and Towing of Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The completed tug will have an LOA of 92 feet (28 metres), a moulded beam of 40 feet (12 metres), a moulded depth of 17 feet (5.2 metres), and a bollard pull of 88 tonnes.
The vessel will be designed to American Bureau of Shipping rules including the A1 escort tug and FFV 1 notations. Construction will take place at C&C Marine and Repair's shipyard in Belle Chasse, Louisiana.
Accommodation will be available for a crew of up to six with two double cabins and two single cabins.
The propulsion system will utilise a pair of Cummins QSK60-M diesel engines each rated at 2,700 hp (2,000 kW) at 1,800 rpm coupled with a pair of electric motors and connected to Kongsberg US255S Z-drives units.
The propulsion can be operated in four modes: electric mode for standby and transit on electric motors alone; hybrid mode for full-power manoeuvres using the diesel engines and the electric motors; mechanical mode using only the diesel engines; and a mode that will use the electric motors for manoeuvring and one main engine PTO powering the Fifi system.
