
Ulstein has sold design and equipment packages for four ocean going tugs to Niigata Shipbuilding and Repair in Japan. The vessels will be built for the Dutch company ALP Maritime Services.
The vessels are primarily designed for towing of large structures over long distances. According to Ulstein, this is a new market for the company, and the contract represents the highest value in one contract for Ulstein Design and Solutions.
The vessels are of Ulstein's SX157 design are developed especially for the project in close collaboration with ALP. They will measure 88.9 metres in length, 21 metres in width, and are expected to deliver bollard pulls of up to 300 tonnes.
"An oceangoing tug typically tow oil rigs, or FPSOs, from the building yards to the installation site at the oil field. In addition, these vessels are outfitted with DP-2 dynamic positioning and anchor handling capacity in order to assist during the installation/hook-up phase for the towed objects," commented Ulstein Design and Solutions managing director Sigurd Viseth.
"The SX157 have fuel capacity to tow over long distances, with the ability of towing at full power for 45 days. This is a niche market where we see that our solutions can be a positive contribution."
In addition to providing design services, Ulstein is also responsible for the deliveries of main components, such as engines, thrusters and propellers, winch, power distribution and thruster drives, the control system and the communication system.
The vessels will be built at Niigata Shipbuilding and Repair, a yard in the Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding group (MES).
The vessels are intended for worldwide operations, and are planned for delivery by the fourth quarter of 2015 and the first quarter of 2016.