Recently, the new Voith Water Tractor (VWT) “Ilan” underwent its official sea trial achieving a speed of 13.5 knots and a bollard pull of 73.5 tons: much to the satisfaction of the operator, the Haifa port authority, which decided in favor of the VWT due to its precise maneuvering capabilities.
Each of the two diesel engines supplies the Voith Schneider Propellers with an input power of 2 640 kW. And what’s more: Voith not only delivered the complete propulsion system but also provided the basic design of the tug in cooperation with the shipyard.
Four other VWT equipped with Voith Schneider Propellers already operate successfully in the port of Haifa, one of the largest ports in Israel. The “Ilan” has been designed for a bollard pull of 70 tons whereas those of the other VWTs range between 30 and 55 tons. In recent years, the amount of goods to be handled and thus the shipping traffic in the port of Haifa have been on the increase. The port authority has therefore been enlarging its fleet of tugs and ordered another VWT in November 2009. At present, work is being carried out on the new Carmel Terminal which will expand the port as of 2014.
Voith sets standards in the markets energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transportation & automotive. Founded in 1867, Voith employs more than 40 000 people, generates €5.6 billion in sales, operates in over 50 countries around the world and is today one of the biggest family-owned companies in Europe.
[mappress] Source: Voith, June 13, 2012