A new hybrid-powered icebreaking escort tug designed by Robert Allan Ltd. will be built by Astilleros Gondán Shipyard of Spain who was selected as the result of an international competition amongst qualified shipyards.

Contract awarded for construction of Icebreaking tug designed by Robert Allan Ltd. for Port of Lulea

The new vessel is a TundRA 3600-H class icebreaking tug which reflects the generations of experience in the design of ice-class vessels by Robert Allan Ltd. It is fully customized for the Port of Lulea operational requirements and is designed to perform icebreaking, ice management, escort, ship-assist, coastal towing, fire-fighting and navigation aids service duties.

The new tug has been designed as a compact icebreaker capable of breaking 1 metre of ice at a speed of up to 3 knots. Special consideration was made for operation in the extreme climate conditions and ice-infested waters of the northern Gulf of Bothnia. Design customization of the tug was accomplished in close and very productive cooperation with Port of Lulea management, specialists and operators.

The hull form of this new vessel is a direct development of previous similar icebreaking tugs developed by Robert Allan Ltd for Svitzer AS for service in Sakhalin and for Group Ocean of Quebec City for service in eastern Canada’s severe winter conditions. The hull structure is designed in excess of Finnish-Swedish Ice Class Rules to ensure safety during icebreaking operations.

The vessel will be equipped with an innovative hybrid propulsion system featuring diesel main engines, shaft motor/generators, and electrical battery energy storage. The tug will be capable of operating on the electrical battery power only in transit, or utilizing a single main engine in the hybrid diesel-electrical mode for various missions including ship assist with a bollard pull up to 55 tonnes, or 90 tonnes on two main engines in diesel-mechanical mode with 100 tonne available when including battery boost capacity. The tug is designed to be connected and heated by the city district heating system and also use the shore electrical connection for recharging the batteries when at the quay. The resulting operational flexibility will yield significant fuel, emissions and maintenance cost savings.

The TundRA 3600-H has the following key vessel particulars

  • Length overall: 36.0 m
  • Breadth, moulded: 13.0 m
  • Depth, least moulded: 6.7 m
  • Bollard Pull (expected): 100 t
  • Total power: 2 x 2720-3100 kW
  • Accommodations: 10 persons (max.)

Source: Robert Allan