Uzmar Shipyard’s ‘eco silent’ tugboat joins P&O Reyser, strengthening operations at Port of Barcelona

Türkiye’s Uzmar Shipyard has handed over its eco-friendly tugboat to Spain’s maritime company P&O Reyser, which operates under the UAE-based DP World’s subsidiary P&O Maritime Logistics, allowing the company to take a step closer toward ‘safe and sustainable’ operations in one of Spain’s busiest ports—the Port of Barcelona.

As disclosed, the NB169 tugboat Balahu is an asymmetric tractor tug (ATT) designed by Spanish ship design firm Cintranaval. It is considered to be compliant with the IMO Tier III emission standards.

The vessel’s propulsion system is reportedly powered by Kongsberg azimuth stern drive (ASD) units that are believed to ensure improved maneuverability. According to Uzmar shipyard, this is ‘particularly beneficial’ for handling large vessels in high-traffic port environments.

The shipyard also spotlighted that Balahu is classified as an ‘Eco Silent’ ship, i.e. it possesses a noise and vibration control system that is in line with the standards defined in the ‘Comfort with regard to noise and vibration’ class notation.

“This delivery represents a significant addition to our fleet and highlights the strength of the partnership between UZMAR and P&O Reyser. We look forward to soon receiving the next tugboat, Caraba, which will further improve our capabilities,” Iñigo Garcia Gorbeña, CEO of P&O Reyser, highlighted.

In addition to this, the tugboat has two 12V175D MM+ high-speed diesel engines from German manufacturer MAN Energy Solution (MAN ES), which, as per a statement from the Turkish shipyard, makes it the ‘first tugboat in the world’ to feature these engines.

Uzmar selected these engines last year for global towage provider Svitzer’s TRAnsverse tugboats. Upon completion—anticipated to be by the end of 2024—the boats will join Svitzer’s Australian fleet.

More recently, in September, Svitzer signed a contract with Uzmar Shipbuilding for the construction of ‘world’s first’ battery electric methanol tug. With a gross tonnage of approximately 806 tons and a 6MWh battery supported by dual-fuel methanol engines for backup and range extension, the tug is projected to conduct up to 25% of Svitzer’s work in Sweden’s Port of Gothenburg once it is delivered in 2026.

As disclosed, Danish company Nordhavn Power Solutions is set to supply two methanol-based generator systems for a larger hybrid solution on this new tugboat.