Maritime Partners Expands Escort Tug Fleet Amid Rising LNG Demand

Maritime Partners is expanding its fleet of harbour tugs in response to rising demand for assisting gas carriers at growing LNG export terminals on the US Gulf coast. The company has launched a third new escort tug, Defiant, built by Master Boat Builders at their shipyard in Coden, Alabama.

The 27-m vessel was delivered in late August and is similar to two other tugs, Marauder and Titan, which were completed earlier this year. All three vessels are designed for escorting, manoeuvring, berthing, and undocking gas carriers and meet US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 requirements.

Maritime Partners has five additional escort tugs currently under contract, with deliveries scheduled to continue through the end of 2027. The newbuilds are built to ABS class and Robert Allan Ltd's RApport 2700 design, featuring twin four-stroke high-speed main diesel engines driving two azimuth thrusters.

The vessels have a beam of 13 m, a bollard pull of more than 70 tonnes, and meet various regulatory requirements, including low emissions under US standards and FFV1 firefighting capabilities.