Shipbuilding: Wilson Sons Unveils Plan to Build Six Tugboats
Wilson Sons will start in the first quarter of 2021 the construction of six tugboats, at its shipyards in Guarujá (SP), helping to grow the company's fleet, the largest in Brazil today with 80 tugboats.
Click here to read a related story on the depth, breadth and growth of the Wilson Sons fleet from the November 2020 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News.
“The new series will contribute to the renewal of the fleet and will facilitate support for large ships that will stop over the next few years at Brazilian ports. We will also be prepared for business opportunities in the oil and gas industry, such as LNG operations and dedicated terminals,” said Rodrigo Bastos, director of the Tugboat business unit at Wilson Sons.
The project will be led by Damen Shipyards, Wilson Sons' partner for more than 25 years.
The IMO Tier III tugboats will feature 80 tons of static traction (DWT), and measure 25 meters long with a 13-meter of beam, with Escort Tug class notation.
“This new model has the most modern equipment available on the market and guarantees a high level of security for port maneuvers,” said Adalberto Souza, executive director of Wilson Sons shipyards.
The first tugboat is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2022, and a new vessel is expected to be completed every four months until 2024. For this new venture, Wilson Sons plans to hire 50 for its shipbuilding operations.