HB Centaurus is the latest addition to the RApide 4600-Z3 Class of shallow draft pushboat designs by Robert Allan Ltd., delivered to its owner: Hidrovias do Brasil in February, 2015. Constructed at Uzmar Shipyard, in Turkey, the HB Centaurus will operate in the Rio Paraguay and Rio Paraná river systems of South America.
HB Centaurus in the eighth and final RApide 4600-Z3 Class vessel for this Owner, and in late March joined its sistership HB Scorpius on one of Rolldock’s heavy lift ships for delivery from Turkey to South America. This delivery took place 12 months after HB Hydra and HB Aquarius, the first two vessels in the series began their delivery voyage.
This fleet of eight diesel-electric pusher tugs are quite unique, featuring triple azimuthing Z-drive propulsion and main generators running on heavy fuel oil. The pusher tugs, with an operating draft of just 2.1 metres, are engaged in the transport of iron ore on this major waterway, each pushing sixteen barges at a time, making up a convoy of approx. 40,000 tonnes dwt. The 2,500 dwt hopper barges were also designed by Robert Allan Ltd. and delivered thirty-two at a time by heavy lift ship from the ZMPC shipyard in China to Buenos Aires. Since entering service these tugs have been outperforming all previous and existing pushboats on the same waterway. The benefits of an extensive process of performance verification and hull form optimization through CFD have been very clearly demonstrated.
Particulars of the HB Centaurus are as follows:
•Length overall: 46.5 m
•Beam, moulded, extreme: 16.5 m
•Depth, moulded (hull): 4.0 m
•Minimum operating draft: 2.1 m
The pushboat series were designed to ABS River Rules requirements and constructed under BV supervision with the following notations:
ABS + A1, Towing Vessel, River Service, + AMS
BV + I 5 IN(0,6) (Z) Pusher, + MACH
The vessel has been outfitted to the highest standards for a normal operating crew of eighteen. Master's and Pilot cabins are located on the ‘A’ deck, with Chief Engineer's cabin on the main deck. The remaining three single and five double crew cabins are spread over two decks. Also included are a gym and an office, located on the ‘A’ deck.
The wheelhouse is designed for maximum all-round visibility with a forward control station providing maximum visibility to foredeck working areas and over the entire barge convoy.
The diesel-electric plant comprises three identical Wärtsilä 9L20 diesel generator sets, each with a power output of 1,710 ekW at 1,000 rpm, and burning heavy fuel for lowest operating costs.