Alexandria Port Authority Orders Voith Water Tractors

The Alexandria Port Authority has placed an order for four new Voith Water Tractors (VWT) to be built at different shipyards in Egypt. Two tugs with an engine power of 2 x 1,920 kW each will be propelled by two Voith Schneider Propellers VSP 28R5/210-2. They will achieve a Bollard Pull of at least 55 tons. The other two with a power of 2 x 1,370 kW each are to be equipped with two VSP 26R5/195-2 for a Bollard Pull of at least 40 tons.

Thanks to the reliability and high performance of several VWTs already in service in Alexandria port and the Suez Canal, the operator is continuing to rely on Voith propulsion for the ongoing expansion of the fleet. The new tugs will start operation in autumn 2016. With a length of 35 meters and a beam of 11.5 meters for the large as well as a length of 29 meters and a beam of 9.5 meters for the smaller VWTs, the four tugs will likewise achieve a speed of 13 knots.

Alexandria is a busy metropolis of some four million inhabitants lying directly on the west side of the Nile Delta in northern Egypt. Alexandria port is one of the most important trade ports in the region, and around 60 percent of Egypt’s imports and exports pass through it. It is currently being expanded and is expected to grow even further in coming years.