Boskalis JVs Order two LNG Dual-fuel Harbor Tugs

Royal Boskalis Westminster (Boskalis) joint ventures Keppel Smit Towage and Maju Maritime have ordered two innovative LNG dual-fuel harbor tugs, which marks a breakthrough for realizing clean environmentally friendly harbor towage services in the Singapore port. The tugs, which are expected to be delivered in 2018, will run entirely on LNG. For this reason, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore will award a grant of up to SGD 2 million for each tug under its LNG Bunkering Pilot Programme. The 65-tonne bollard pull ASD tugs will be built by Keppel Singmarine in Singapore using the shipyard's proprietary design.
 
The LNG fuel will be supplied by Shell, for which two Head of Agreements have been signed, and bunkered through FueLNG, a joint venture between Shell and Keppel. The two LNG fuelled tugs will be the first clients of LNG as marine fuel in the pilot for the development of Singapore into one of the world's main LNG bunkering ports.
 
With a large global fleet, Boskalis is constantly on the lookout for ways to reduce emissions and innovate in terms of sustainability and looks forward to rolling this out in other LNG ports and terminals around the world. Boskalis believes that the use of LNG as a marine fuel for harbor tugs will play a viable role in reducing emissions that no other fossil fuel can currently achieve.