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| The Ramparts 3000 tug, image courtesy of Cheoy Lee. |
The azimuth stern drive tugs, to be built to the Robert Allan design at Cheoy Lee’s Hin Lee facility on China’s Pearl River Delta, will be used for the PNG LNG project.
Each will be deployed on an initial 10 year charter with options to extend to 25 years.
The first of two tugs is scheduled for October and November 2013 with the remaining two following in January and February 2014.
The RAstar series was designed by Vancouver-based Robert Allan to provide the high power levels needed to undertake escort operations in weather- and sea-exposed areas. This includes LNG terminal where high standards of seakeeping are required.
Smit Lamnalco has operated 36m long 100 tonne bollard pull rated RAstar 3600 tugs in the Middle East since 2009.
The tugs being built for PNG LNG will have a maximum bollard pull of 65t astern and 69t ahead.
Smit Lamnalco has included several safety features in the specifications to meet the stringent safety requirements for operations in LNG terminal environments.
The tugs will be built to the fire fighter class 1 rating and can deliver 2400 cubic metres of water an hour.
They will carry the escort class notation and will be able to tow over the bow.
The four tugs also will come equipped with a render recovery winch capable of maintaining a consistent line tension in rough sea conditions.
Smit Lamnalco projects departments’ Phil Cornish said the RAstar 3200 was a relatively new but still tried and tested Robert Allan design that “we customised to meet the particularly needs of our first foray into the PNG terminals market”.
