Owners plan tug fleet growth in Americas

摘要

The Americas are becoming a key battleground for leading tug owners, keen to expand their fleets of escort vessels in the region as new import terminals are built. This was demonstrated most recently by the latest escort tug order by SAAM Towage in December 2019. This Chile-headquartered group will have built three azimuth stern drive (ASD) tugs to support a new LNG floating storage and regasification project in El Salvador. SAAM Towage managing director Felipe Rioja says these tugs will operate from Q2 2021 supporting LNG carriers berthing and undocking at a terminal designed to feed a 378 MW power plant from the end of 2021. "We will provide services for the Energia del Pacifico (EDP) project at the Port of Acajutla, which reinforces our presence in Central America and our commitment to the region," he says. These escort tugs will be 32 m long with ASD propulsion and escort winches. They will be "specifically designed to meet the requirements of offshore operations and escorting vessels," says Mr Rioja. The expansion of SAAM Towages fleet demonstrates the potential for further growth in Latin America. "The Caribbean area is a potential growth opportunity for us," Mr Rioja explains. "We are actively mapping the market for the right opportunity to expand," he says, noting how plans to open new LNG terminals in Latin America will drive towage demand in the 2020s. "We have a special eye for terminal towage in this region, as it demands renewal to its current available fleet," he says.