Early September, Port of Antwerp purchased a new type of tug-boat after a successful trial period. The Multratug 6 was purchased as part of the renewal and 'greening' of the fleet. As such, Port of Antwerp focuses on sustainable and energy-efficient vessels, the company said in its release.
Since January, Operations has been testing the Multratug 6, a Reversed Stern Drive tug-boat equipped with a rudder propeller. The tug-boat is more energy efficient and complies with IMO Tier III regulations that determine the emission of nitrogen oxides.
The Multratug 6 was part of a training course on sailing with rudder propellers. In order to prepare the crews and technical staff of Port of Antwerp for the arrival of two more ships in December 2020 and February 2021, they will receive further training in the coming months. The new tug-boats are of the type RSD2513 and hail from shipbuilder Damen.