Order placed for new tug to serve Mexico's Lazaro Cardenas Port

Chilean towage company Ultratug, through its subsidiary Ultratug Mexico, has placed an order for a new harbour tug that will be operated out of the Port of Lazaro Cardenas on Mexico's Pacific coast.

Ultratug Mexico has been operating under a long-term contract at the Port of Lazaro Cardenas since 2017 with a modern fleet of three ASD tugs.

The new tug will be built in Turkey and will utilise a design developed by Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd. Upon completion, it will have an LOA of 24.4 metres, a moulded beam of 12 metres, and a navigational draught of 5.45 metres.

The design brief of the tug has been adapted to meet Ultratug Mexico's specific needs. It will have accommodation for up to eight crewmembers with two single-berth cabins in the deckhouse and three double cabins below deck.

The tug will be powered by two IMO Tier III-compliant Caterpillar 3516E main engines, each producing a minimum of 2,200 kW at 1,600 rpm to achieve a bollard pull of 75 tonnes over the stern and a free running speed of approximately 12.5 knots.

It will also be compatible with a Caterpillar exhaust gas aftertreatment solution designed to reduce NOx emissions.