Seagate Corp, a subsidiary of Japanese shipping major “K” Line has had a state-of-the-art environmentally friendly tugboat built.
The new vessel runs on conventional marine fuel oil but it is also equipped with a biofuel blender manufactured by Conhira Co. The blender can blend conventional marine fuel oil and biofuel at the blending ratio of choice between 0% and 100%.
“This system paves the way for the stable production of fuel that includes biofuel at the desired blending ratio onboard the Vessel, even when the ship is in places where it is difficult for bunkering ships to supply blended biofuel,” the company says.
The vessel is also equipped with an ultrasonic anti-fouling system that uses ultrasonic waves to hinder the adhesion of marine organisms to the vessels hull. An accumulation of fouling induces turbulence and drag along the hull requires more power, and therefore fuel consumption to propel the vessel.
The new tugboat has been built by Kanagawa Dockyard at Kobe City, Hyogo, and underwent a launch and naming ceremony earlier this week. The tugboat will undergo interior work in the near future and it is scheduled to come into service at the Port of Mizushima, in Okayama Prefecture, in August 2025. Seagate is a provider of harbour logistics and transport services including towage, ships agency, harbour transport, steel logistics, and ro-ro among others.
