New tugs for Chinese ports
Rolls-Royce Azimuth thruster
Qingdao and Yingkou Ports will take delivery of 12 new tugs, four of which will be among the most powerful operating in China. Tangshan and Tangshan Cao Feidian Ports, located in the He Bei province of Northern China, will receive six tugs.
The 18 vessels being built in China will all be equipped with two Rolls-Royce Azimuth thrusters, as the power systems company announced. The thrusters comprise an electric motor and a propeller which, as a combined unit can be rotated horizontally in any direction to manoeuvre the vessel without the need for a rudder.
Such highly powered tugs are new to Chinese ports and are a growing necessity to manoeuvre the largest ships now in operation around the globe. In recent years, vessels coming to ports in China have increased in size and capacity, with Qingdao Port and Yingkou Port being amongst the earliest to respond to this demand.
