US tug owners expand fleets as new energy terminals open
Newbuild harbour and escort tugs ordered for LNG terminals and big boxships
US tug owners are stepping up newbuilding as LNG export terminals and ultra-large containerships drive demand, with a wave of harbour and escort tugs on order, all ABS class, rated at more than 70 tonnes bollard pull, with EPA Tier 4 engines.
Master Boat Builders in Coden, Alabama is building eight 27 m terminal tugs for Maritime Partners, the first of which is working at Ingleside, Texas, plus four 30 m escort tugs of 90 tonnes bollard pull for Suderman & Young, which is expanding at Brownsville and Port Isabel. The yard also delivered a pair of tugs to Gulf LNG Services, a joint venture of Bay-Houston, Bay Towing, Moran Towing and Suderman & Young, at Port Arthur.
Elsewhere, Eastern Shipbuilding is building four escort tugs for Saltchuk Marine, Washburn & Doughty launched an 84-tonne bollard pull tug for McAllister Towing, Crescent Towing took delivery of a tug from Blakeley BoatWorks, Great Lakes Towing named its tenth ice-class Damen unit, and Bay-Houston Towing ordered an escort tug from Sterling Shipyard for 2028.
