Hermasa Navegação, a subsidiary of Amaggi, has started building two new pusher tugs in Brazil that will be able to run on biodiesel as well as conventional marine fuel, Riviera reported.
The 30-metre vessels are being designed by Robert Allan Ltd, which is providing the naval architecture, while Wartsila has been selected to supply the medium-speed marine engines.
Construction began earlier this year, and the two vessels are expected to be delivered in 2027. Once completed, each tug will have enough power to push up to 20 barges carrying a total of 32,000 tonnes of grain along the Amazon inland waterway system.
According to Robert Allan Ltd, the vessels will be built to its RApide 3000-Z2 design and certified for inland navigation and towage. They are being specially adapted to operate in the conditions of the Madeira River.
A key feature of the new tugs is their ability to operate on B100 biodiesel, in addition to standard marine diesel oil. The design also allows for shallow-draught operation, making it suitable for navigation throughout the Amazon River basin.
Each vessel will accommodate 10 crew members and will have a beam of 12 metres, a depth of 3 metres, and a navigational draught of 2 metres. The propulsion system will include two MWM diesel generator sets and two Kongsberg Maritime-manufactured withdrawable US155 P14 Z-drives fitted with 1,800 mm fixed-pitch propellers. Power will come from two Wärtsilä 6L20 diesel engines, each producing 1,150 kW.
Claudinei Zenatti, director of logistics and operations at Amaggi, said the engines’ ability to use biodiesel will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the company’s environmental commitments, while contributing to more sustainable river transport.
