Astilleros Gondán delivers Europe’s first dual-fuel tug

The Robert Allan-designed tug will operate for Norway’s state-owned energy company Statoil at its far-north Snøhvit LNG export terminal on Melkøya Island where harsh conditions prevail much of the time. The Dux will escort and provide berthing assistance for some 300 LNG carriers each year, and is also equipped for emergency tasks including long-line towing, fire-fighting and oil spill response.
The 40.2m-long vessel, with a beam of 16m, has been specially designed to withstand challenging conditions, and has a hull configuration built for maximum uptime in severe weather, and temperatures as low as minus 20°C. The IMO Tier III-compliant tug will operate on LNG most of the time whilst the flexibility of diesel power will ensure a high level of operational flexibility and security.  
Dux has a free running speed of 15 knots and offers both high direct pull and escort forces. Classification society Bureau Veritas has approved a bollard pull of 107 tonnes and a steering force of 167 tonnes. The eight-person crew will benefit from high noise and vibration insulation with noise levels as low as 45dB in crew cabins.