Berg Propulsion to Supply Propulsion for Diesel-Electric Tugs

Berg Propulsion has been contracted to supply the propulsion and control systems for four diesel-electric, firefighting offshore support tugs which will be the most powerful vessels of their type ever built in Türkiye.

The vessels have been ordered by Smit Lamnalco from builder Uzmar Shipyard and will initially operate in French Guyana, with Berg due to deliver equipment for the first in the series in November 2026. All four tugs will feature bollard pull (bp) capacities exceeding 130 tons, a step up from the largest tugs built by Uzmar to date, which feature hybrid-electric propulsion also from Berg.

Built to Canadian naval architect Robert Allan Limited’s (RAL’s) RAmpage 6000-DE design, each 60m length tug will feature twin 4,000kW electric motors. Berg’s propulsive package will include two MTA836 Z drive fixed-pitch azimuth thrusters and two MTT216 controllable-pitch bow thrusters, alongside an MPC800 control system.

With equipment for the last of the Bureau Veritas-classed vessels due delivery by July 2027, the new order consolidates Berg’s presence in Türkiye, which has become a construction hub for tug innovation.