Damen launches compact ASD Tug 1810
Artist impression of the ASD Tug 1810 (Source: Damen)
Damen has developed a new vessel in the Damen Compact Tugs range, the ASD Tug 1810. It will have a bollard pull of 30 tonnes ahead and 28 tonnes astern. Its design has drawn on a number of features developed in the Compact Tugs range, the company said.
Safety and ease of operation have been key considerations. The vessel has a high freeboard, keeping water on deck to a minimum; 360° vision from the wheelhouse, which has shatter-proof glass; and a winch that is installed in the deckhouse, ensuring minimum maintenance and enabling towing operations either fore or aft. Course-keeping and manoeuvrability are assisted by the patented Damen Twin Fin Skeg, a feature on all the Damen Compact Tug range.
An electric power generation system with two shaft generators, one fitted to each power train, is backed up by a diesel generator. This can be used when the vessel is alongside and no shore connection is available. The setup has a number of benefits: it cuts fuel consumption and emissions, reduces maintenance requirements, and facilitates a more compact design.
Damen’s Product Portfolio Manager Tugs, Siebe Cieraad, said: “The system draws on power from the main engines to create electricity. With this, there is no requirement for a third diesel engine to provide electrical power when the vessel is sailing.”
IMO Tier III compliance can be assured with an optional Damen Emission Reduction System, an exhaust gas aftertreatment system that reduces NOx emissions. Fitted in the existing exhaust silencers, the system can be retrofitted at any time, Damen said. The tug can also be connected to Damen’s IoT system, Triton, to monitor vessel performance.
“The benefits of this are many and varied,” Cieraad noted. “For example, Triton can help determine the optimal speed and route for reducing fuel consumption and emissions. This is just one of the many ways we are looking to reach our goal of becoming the most sustainable maritime solutions provider.”
Meanwhile, Damen continues to develop zero-emission or carbon-neutral versions of its compact ASD tug range.
