Europe’s First Hybrid Tug Operational - Maritime Propulsion

Posted - By Keith Henderson at June 14, 2012 08:06 - Maritime Propulsion

n Rotterdam Harbor, Europe’s first hybrid tug Rotor Tug RT Adriaan, is now operational as part of the Kotug fleet. During the winter, the tug has undergone a conversion with a XeroPoint Hybrid Propulsion System of AKA Canada. Inspired by the hybrid tug of Foss Maritime California and in partnership with AKA Canada, an extremely environmentally friendly and fuel-saving tugboat was developed.
The RT Adriaan, was retrofitted with the XeroPoint system that ensures the electric and diesel engines, generators and environmentally-friendly batteries will be centrally monitored and controlled to run at their optimum.
The hybrid tug has a Loa of 104 ft (32 m), beam of 39.4 ft (12 m) and draft of 21.2 ft (6.5 m) and has a gross tonnage of 463. Three Caterpillar 3512 C-HD main engines rated at 1765 kW at 1,800 rpm, each power a motor generator attached to a fully azimuthing Schottel Rudder Propeller SRP 1215 with a fixed pitch 2.40 m diameter propeller. There are two auxiliary 200 kW Catepillar C9 gensets and one 36 kW Caterpillar C4.4 emergency genset.
The tugboat can operate on battery power for much of the time, with the batteries being recharged from shore power when alongside and topped up using the on board auxiliary gensets. Only when full pulling power is required, are the main engines fired up to provide maximum thrust while at the same time recharging the batteries if required.
The benefits of the hybrid conversion are a 50 per cent reduction in harmful emissions, noiseless operation, improved fuel economy and reduced CO2 and savings in maintenance costs.
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