American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) has awarded a contract to C&C Marine and Repair, Belle Chasse, La., to build a 198'x50'x12', 11,000-hp class towboat.
The towboat will be outfitted with two Caterpillar C280-12 main engines, producing approximately 11,000 hp, supplied by Louisiana CAT. The engines will be paired with two Reintjes WAF 6755 reduction gears supplied by Karl Senner LLC. Generator power will be supplied by three Cat 275-kW generators. The towboat will be outfitted with CT Marine CT28-SL nozzles housing 124"-dia. stainless-steel, 5-bladed fixed pitch propellers and features twin-DIFF flanking and steering rudder systems.
The new vessel will accommodate a crew of up to 12 and the design incorporates a floating, spring-mounted superstructure for additional crew comfort.
“When comparing this 11,000 horsepower class towboat to smaller 6,000 horsepower class towboats frequently used for mainline operations, this larger horsepower vessel will increase efficiency by 20% or more on both a cost per ton mile and CO2 emission per ton mile basis due to the increase in tow size and tonnage capacity,” Patrick Sutton, ACBL's chief operating officer, said in a statement.
“We are investing in our future by building on the strength of our industry leading mainline operations. The addition of this new towboat is an example of our continuous efforts to modernize ACBL’s fleet and offer more innovative marine transportation solutions to our customers,” ACBL’s CEO Mike Ellis said in a statement.
Upon delivery, the vessel will operate on ACBL’s mainline network pushing up to 56 barges, averaging approximately 75,000 tons of cargo. Designed by Portland, Maine-based CT Marine, the towboat’s pilothouse will have an eyeline at 47' above the water.
“This vessel is the first of several that we hope to construct, as there is a need for vessels with this kind of horsepower in the market,” said C&C Marine and Repair’s President Tony Cibilich.
C&C Marine is finishing up detailed design and is expected to begin construction later this year. The estimated delivery date is the third quarter of 2024.
