Overcoming Challenges With Tugboat Power And Electrical Integration

Looking ahead to ITS 2024 in May, Riviera Maritime Media spoke with Berg Propulsion general manager for Europe and Americas, Jörgen Karlsson, and Berg Propulsion Eurasia general manager Mustafa Müslüm.

They explained how Berg has strengthened its position in the tug sector through investment and technical experience. “We are growing our sales and product support at the local level, and also investing centrally in the new functionality and extra production capacity,” they said.

Berg provides control and propulsion technology for several newbuilding projects, with a growing orderbook and enhanced technical expertise.

One of the most technical projects Berg is involved in is constructing one of the largest hybrid tugs ever built, a vessel built by Uzmar Shipyard in Turkey for Norwegian owner Buksér og Berging.

This vessel has 120 tonnes of bollard pull, twin MTA834CP azimuth thrusters, one MTT114CP bow thruster and a full electrical power and control suite from Berg.

“This newbuild project will showcase our role as an integrator of electric propulsion technology and a supplier of high-performance propulsion equipment,” said Mr Karlsson.

“The propulsion control package will be decisive in the tug’s superior responsiveness and continuously optimised energy efficiency.”

Mr Karlsson and Mr Müslüm expect more vessels to be built with integrated packages and hybrid propulsion. “The market continues to focus on the greater contribution hybrid and electric solutions can make to improving vessel efficiency.”

Berg is expanding its offerings to accommodate wider power and speed ranges – in engines and motors.

“We are also paying special attention to developing interfaces which make vessel operations easier,” they said.

According to these experts, the other industry trends under consideration to enhance performance across the tug sector include electrification, alternative fuels, fleet management, remote monitoring, smart analytics and anomaly detection.

When asked for its reasons behind sponsoring ITS 2024, Mr Karlsson and Mr Müslüm said this global industry convention “is an excellent event in a segment where Berg has strong product and solution offerings.”

They said involvement in the conference and exhibition provides “invaluable opportunities to connect with key industry partners, share our expertise and listen to input from other stakeholders in this specialised segment.”

On day two of the conference, Berg Propulsion business manager Mattias Dombrowe will present a technical paper on the challenges when integrating electrical and propulsion systems on tugs and ways to overcome these.

This paper discusses practical experiences and recommendations to streamline integration of these complex systems, considering performance, efficiency, safety and ease of use.

Berg Propulsion is one of the partners of International Tug & Salvage (ITS) Convention, Exhibition & Awards 2024 and provides integrated, green and effective propulsion solutions for tugs and emergency response vessels.