UZMAR DELIVERS PUSH-TUGS FOR SOUTH AMERICAN OPERATION
Uzmar Shipyard in Turkey has delivered eight Robert Allan Ltd (RAL) designed push-tugs, part of an optimised tug-barge system delivering ore from Brazil down the Paraguay-Paraná river to Uruguay, a distance of 2,500km.
While some veteran Mississippi push-boats and barges have been used on South American inland waterways, this particular operation presented challenges which led to logistics corporation Hidrovias do Brasil turning to RAL to design a purpose-built shallow draft system including eight triple-screw azimuthing thruster RApide 4600-Z3 class push-tugs. Also part of the project, 128 Robert Allan designed open hopper barges were supplied by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co Ltd (ZPMC).