Belgium’s port of Antwerp-Bruges took delivery of six RSD Tugs 2513 from Damen, including Europe’s first all-electric unit.
The tugs are IMO tier III compliant and possess Damen marine NOx reduction systems which remove harmful emissions from exhaust gases. With the aim of being carbon neutral by 2050, the port of Antwerp-Bruges said that it has been making concerted efforts to renew its fleet in the form of both more efficient newbuilds and by converting existing vessels to run on clean, alternative fuels.
Damen has delivered and commissioned the electric tug’s 1.5 MW charger and onshore electric infrastructure. The tug can be fully recharged in just two hours.
Damen will manage the maintenance of the vessels and provide its standard one-year warranty. Further support comes in the form of training, with simulator-based, technical, and onboard features designed to prepare the crew for the arrival of the new tugs. Training is intended to be on hand for five years.
The six tugs were part of a shipment of vessels transported from Damen’s yard in Vietnam aboard Jumbo Kinetic. Upon arrival in North Sea Port’s Vlissingen harbour, Jumbo Kinetic was escorted by tugs along the Western Scheldt River on its final leg to the port.
HLPFI reported that the RSD-E Tug 2513 set a Guinness World Record last month.
