Russian customers got 159 tugboats over 15-year period (photo)
From 2000 through 2015 Russian customers took the delivery of 159 sea and river going push and tug boats from 3 to 5 MW, escort tugboats of up to 110 kW and small tugboats, IAA PortNews learnt from Gennady Yegorov, Director General of Marine Engineering Bureau, who will be a moderator at the Conference “Advanced port fleet - the basis of safety”.
He noted that many of those vessel can be deployed for icebreaking and rescue operations, firefighting, delivery of pilots and passengers, transportation of some cargoes.
“We are concerned about absence of further plans on construction of such vessels – Yegorov explained. – Berths and warehouses alone cannot ensure the operation of ports. Lack of port fleet will sooner or later become a bottleneck in the country’s foreign trade.”
At the same time, Yegorov calls attention to the activities of Pella Shipyard which built 43 tugboats of standard designs (27% of total number) starting from 2003.
Over the same period, Russian seaports acquired 38 tugboats from Damen - leading global manufacturer of special vessels (24% of all new tugboats).
Additional 16 vessels of this type were built for private Russian clients by Craneship.
The above three leaders supplied 97, or 61%, of the total number.
More information on the development of Russia’s port fleet will be provided at the Conference “Advanced port fleet - the basis of safety” which is to be held in Saint-Petersburg on September 21, 2015.
Full article Port Fleet XXI will be published in the journal “PortNews. Port Service. First half of 2015.” in September 2015.
