Wilson Sons, an integrated port and maritime logistics operator based in Brazil, will build six new tugboats as part of its supply chain offering and strategy to make trade more efficient.
The new vessels will increase the Wilson Sons’ tugboat fleet to 80 and will see the company work with Damen Shipyards. The tugboats will have 80 tons of static traction (DWT) and Escort Tug class notation.
Rodrigo Bastos, director of the Tugboat business unit at Wilson Sons, said, “The new series will contribute to the renewal of the fleet and will facilitate support for large ships that will stop over the next few years at Brazilian ports.
“We will also be prepared for business opportunities in the oil and gas industry, such as LNG operations and dedicated terminals”.
Adalberto Souza, executive director of Wilson Sons shipyards, commented, “This new model has the most modern equipment available on the market and guarantees a high level of security for port maneuvers”.
Another innovation is the IMO Tier III certification that attests to the elimination of emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx).
“Tier III is a great advantage of this project which, although not required in Brazil, shows how much we are at the forefront of the Brazilian naval industry”, Souza continued.
The first tugboat is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2022, and a new vessel is expected to be completed every four months until 2024.
For this new venture, Wilson Sons plans to increase its workforce by 50. “We are very optimistic about this project, which represents a boost for shipbuilding”, Souza concluded.
