TUGTECHNOLOGY ‘23 will discuss how the tug industry can enhance port operations and towage while lowering emissions.
Industry experts will discuss new technology and how to implement them at the two-day conference in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with platinum sponsor Caterpillar on 22–23 May.
New ideas on research and development, design and manufacturing, in-service experience, and economies of scale and standardization will be given in the technical papers. These aspects determine the cost of new tug technology.
New technologies will be evaluated for efficiency, emissions, and safety.
Berg Propulsion’s western hemisphere managing director Jonas Nyberg will discuss how next-generation tugs’ propulsion might benefit from new technology. He will present affordable near-term and newbuild solutions.
Kongsberg Maritime senior vice president for business development Oskar Levander will discuss balancing overall lifespan costs and carbon reductions.
He will evaluate tug technology for efficiency and emissions, compare new tug designs, and examine investments that reduce emissions the most.
Avikus senior researcher and product manager Wonchul Yoo will discuss how new technology is improving tug navigation safety and efficiency.
He will compare autonomous and remotely controlled navigation and how AI and machine learning techniques aid crew choices. Autonomous navigation benefits and existing solutions will be studied.
Piet ter Schure, CEO of DMT Marine Equipment, will study innovative tug winches and cranes.
He will discuss how deck gear may be customized to match owners’ needs and how winches must be improved to manage the next generation of container ships’ increased bollard draw.
Damen Shipyards product portfolio manager for sustainable tugs Jean-Pierre Stevens will study hybrid and electric propulsion systems for newbuild tugs.
He will upgrade the first Damen RSD-E Tug 2513 Sparky, which tows ships in Auckland, New Zealand.
In his talk, Mr. Stevens will examine design criteria, technical specifications, warranty difficulties, lessons learned, and market expectations.
Jan Glas, Schottel’s director of product management and business intelligence, will showcase disruptive propulsion solutions such azimuth thruster designs, comprehensive fuel oil usage evaluation, and sustainable operating layouts.
Social and networking activities, the industry gala dinner, and the ITS Awards complement the conference.