Maritime Event in Abu Dhabi to Focus on Green Tugs

Middle East Work Boats & Offshore Marine 2013 marks its 4th return to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from 30th September to 2nd October 2013, with a dedicated forum on day two, part of which will focus on green technology and in particular LNG-powered tugboats.

The issue of sustainability is rising to the top of the industry agenda, after the IMO called for global implementation of a 0.5% cap on sulphur content in fuel oil by 2020.

More stringent measures are being introduced in the Emission Control Areas (ECAs) in the Baltic and North Sea, and North America, including the Canadian coastline and the US Caribbean Sea, where current 1% limits will reduced to a mere 0.1% in 2015.

Leading the session entitled ‘LNG tugs a future realised’, part of the Global Workboats Technology Forum with strategic partner, Saudi Aramco, is Gary Dockerty, Director for the AMEA region for the Turkish Shipyard, Sanmar. The tugboat and workboat builder is set to deliver the world’s first two LNG-driven tugs to Ostensjo Rederi in Norway, later this year.

“LNG costs less than a third of diesel and it burns 30% more cleanly reducing carbon emissions, but according to Lloyds Register, over the next 12 years only 653 newly-built vessels will be LNG-fuelled, less than 5% of total global deliveries. So although LNG-fuelled engines are a viable option, there are still issues,” said Dockerty.

“It is 15-40% more expensive to design and build an LNG-fuelled tugboat, so the fuel price differential ROI is difficult to justify and that’s before we start to look at operational performance or the lack of LNG bunkers. However the bottom line is that the industry will have to comply, so it will be interesting to see how sustainable design develops over the next seven years,” he added.

Recognising the opportunity, Drydocks World Dubai is also designing green tugs for the Middle East market, to comply with stricter emissions’ controls regulations, by integrating highly efficient Rolls-Royce power and propulsion equipment, including Bergen medium speed gas engines. The company believes that it is on the threshold of a new era in environmental management for maritime sustainable development.

This year’s event line-up also includes an Industry Outlook – 2020, Middle East, Africa and Caspian economical overview session on the first morning, with Dynamic Positioning (DP) capability and systems development dominating the final day’s debate on 2nd October.

Middle East Work Boats & Offshore Marine 2013 has already signed up over 165 exhibitors for this year’s event which will offer business and social networking both in the conference sessions and on the exhibition floor. Exhibitors for the 2013 edition include ABS, Etihad Ship Building, IRSHAD, Stanford Marine and Topaz Energy and Marine.

[mappress]

Press Release, September 9, 2013