Inland LNG Push Tug
Date of publication: 25.09.2012

Seatech\'s LNG push tug
 
Seatech Engineering in Poland has developed designs for an inland waterways push tug that uses LNG as fuel. The challenge was to accommodate the space required for the LNG tanks within the normal dimensions for this type of tug – achieved by some innovative solutions mainly involving the crew accommodation, writes Dag Pike.


The two 35cm LNG tanks are located in the forward section of the hull below a raised section of deck. The wheelhouse is located above this at the forward end and it can be raised and lowered hydraulically to give a 4.5m bridge clearance when lowered and 9.3m when in the raised position to give good visibility over the barges in front.
 
The main engines are a pair of Mitsubishi diesels that are converted to LNG operation. Each one produces 720 KW and they drive through fixed pitch propellers located within Kort nozzles. A gas fuelled generator in also proposed and a bow thruster is located within the forward skeg of the hull.
 
The crew accommodation is contained in three container type modules that are located around the aft funnel. By using containers in this way the accommodation is isolated from the main hull structure to reduce noise and vibration and it also allows for the accommodation standards to be raised or modified in the future. A 4-man crew is visualised.
 
The LNG power is forecast to give the tug a speed of 16 to 18 km/hour when pushing the normal two barge tow loaded. The bollard push is calculated at 15 tonnes with the full engine power.
 
This push tug has been designed to meet DNV rules, the IMO rules for LNG installations on ships and the various technical requirements for inland waterway vessels. The design has been developed in anticipation of the establishment of bunkering stations for LNG powered vessels using the inland waterways but this is expected to be still some way in the future. The initiative for using LNG as a fuel for inland waterways will come from increasingly strict emission regulations in the future and LNG offers a considerable reduction in emissions of various types.

source: http://www.motorship.com/news101/inland-lng-push-tug