Wilson Sons puts 2nd sustainable tugboat into operation

WS Orion, which supports better air quality at seaports, joins the company’s tug fleet in São Luís, Maranhão.

Wilson Sons’ new tugboat WS Orion has been delivered into operation and joins WS Centaurus to assist ship berthing and unberthing operations in São Luís (MA), serving the terminals of Ponta da Madeira (PDM), Itaqui and Alumar. The first berthing operation took place on Monday, October 24th, at the Ponta da Madeira terminal, maneuvering a large-sized vessel used for transporting iron ore.

Named on October 13th in Rio de Janeiro, WS Orion has the power to maneuver large ships carrying up to 400,000 tons of cargo. Built at the Wilson Sons shipyard in Guarujá (SP), the vessel has the same characteristics as WS Centaurus, which went into operation in June this year. The new RSD 2513 has escort tug class notation and FIFI-1-certified firefighting equipment with a 2,400 m³ flow rate per hour.

WS Orion is designed by Damen Shipyards and is 25 meters long and 13 meters wide. It operates fore and aft with the same efficiency and can be used in both port manoeuvers and in ocean towage. Bollard pull is over 90 tons, making the new tug one of the two most powerful operating in Brazil, along with WS Centaurus.

WS Orion is the second of six new in-house tugs combining performance with sustainability. Its innovative design allows an estimated reduction of up to 14% in greenhouse gas emissions owing to more efficient twin-fin hydrodynamics for better navigation and improved drag capacity in maneuvers. This new hull design ensures smaller fuel consumption and, consequently, lower emissions.

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