Vale takes delivery of new tug

Brazilian mining giant Vale recently held a naming ceremony for the harbor assist tug Sossego. Built in the Detroit Shipyard in Santa Catarina, it is the first of 51 vessels that Vale has ordered at Brazilian yards.

Vale was recently criticized by Brazilian President Lula da Silva for ordering Very Large Ore Carriers in China, rather than in Brazil. Be that as it may, it has placed about US$225 million in orders for smaller vessels with domestic yards, generating 2,465 direct and indirect jobs.

In addition to the Sossego, these orders cover 14 more harbor tugs, two river tugs and 32 barges and two passenger catamarans. Log-In Logistica Intermodal, in which Vale has a 31.3 percent stake, has five 2,840 TEU containerships under construction at Estaleiro Ilha S/A (EISA).

The harbor tugs will assist in the docking and undocking of vessels at various Vale ore terminals, with the passenger catamarans being used to transport workers to and from Vale's Guiaba Terminal Island.

The two barge fleets will operate on the River Paraguay, carrying ore from Vale's Urucum mine in Corumba.

Eleven of the harbor tugs, including the Sossego are being built at the Detroit yard in Itajai (SC), and the other four at the Santa Cruz yard in Aracaju.

The river tugs and barges are being built at the Rio Maguari shipyard in Belem.The two catamarans are under construction at Botafogo, in Angra dos Reis.

Vale says the shipbuilding orders will help meet its growing demand for logistics services, including the demand that will be generated when its Pier IV, Ponta da Madeira terminal starts operations in 2011.

"Sossego"

Maximum Beam (width): 11.60 m

Molded depth (distance from baseline to the deck): 5.36 m

Length: 32 m

Maximum draft: 3.70 m

Static Strength: 75 tons

Shipyard: Detroit Brazil LTDA. Itajai - Santa Catarina

Classification Society: RBNA