Steerprop to Deliver Azimuth Propulsors to Ramparts Tugboats

UZMAR Shipyards in Turkey is one of the world’s top-notch tugboat builders with a very good reputation worldwide. The company has now chosen Steerprop to deliver six SP 20 WD azimuth propulsion units for a series of three Robert Allan Ltd. designed RAmparts 2300_UZM tugs being built.

The contract for the six SP 20 WD azimuth propulsion units, delivering 1,610 kW of power each, was signed in April 2021 and will be delivered in Q3 2021.

“The Robert Allan designed RAmparts 2300_UZM tugs with 50+ ton of Bollard Pull are very efficient and agile tugs, providing a lot of performance in a compact package”, says Donato Agostinelli, Sales Manager at Steerprop. “Since the tugs will be operating in challenging conditions and performing very different tasks throughout their life, the propulsion units must be efficient and reliable under all circumstances. For these reasons, the units also come with our Condition Monitoring system as standard.”

Steerprop delivers six SP 20 WD azimuth propulsion units to a series of three compact but very efficient RAmparts 2300_UZM ship assist tugboats being built by Turkish shipbuilder UZMAR, that has maximum efficiency in the performance of ship-handling duties for tankers, bulk carriers, and container ships in particular.

The SP 20 WD is a ducted azimuth propulsor with a power of 1,610 kW, equipped with a very precise and energy-efficient electrical steering and lubrication system.

Electrical steering

To increase the achieved BP and to improve the maneuverability of the tugboat, the azimuth propulsors have an electrical steering that enables more efficient use of the main engine’s power compared to hydraulic steering.

“The agile electrical steering system in our Z-drive azimuth propulsion increases overall performance and reduces the running costs of the vessels”, says Agostinelli. “The electrical system can also be upgraded with a battery pack to enhance performance even further, while at the same time lowering the environmental footprint of the system.”

The propulsors’ robust and accurate electric steering gears also offer a constant steering speed, which is essential when performing sensitive tasks like escorting tankers.

“Since the steering uses power only when actively turning, it is very energy-efficient”, Agostinelli says. “In addition, the electrical steering also produces significantly less noise than hydraulic steering systems and requires little service due to its mechanically simple construction.”

Re-entry in the segment

The RAmparts tug classification is the most popular and widely used tug type in the world, thanks to its very flexible design that allows to accommodate different configurations and applications.

“We identified a clear customer need and saw that we could make the necessary changes to our base design in the short time we had at hand”, Agostinelli says. “We think this is a great reference to make a re-entry in a segment that is not new to us, but in which we have not been present for a while.”