Port faces tugs cut (From Western Telegraph)

Port faces tugs cut

The fleet of escort tugs which guides shipping in and out of the Milford Haven Waterway is to be cut by a quarter. But port operators insist safety won't be compromised at a time of escalating risk.

Four tugs currently operate alongside shipping traffic but one is to be withdrawn and crew numbers on two of remaining vessels will be cut.

Svitzer Marine, which owns the tugs, insists one is a standby vessel used only when a fourth tug is required.

Andrew Stammers, the company's port manager, said: "Rather than have the tug on standby 350 days of the year, it will be redeployed to another port and will be brought in when needed.

"We have also taken delivery of a new multi-million pounds tug which has better power and fire fighting capacity, so it would be wrong to say that our tug capacity has been reduced."

A risk assessment undertaken by Lloyds Register, on behalf of the Milford Haven Port Authority, concluded that four tugs were unnecessary and that there would be no additional risk from reducing manning levels, possibly from four crew members to three. Councillor Anne Hughes, Pembrokeshire county councillor for Milford Haven, said although there were concerns about safety and possible redundancy she had confidence in the findings of the Lloyds Register assessment.

She pointed out that vessels carrying LPG, potentially more hazardous than LNG, had been using the Haven for many years.

What concerns many people is that the changes are being introduced as danger levels have the potential to increase when the two liquefied natural gas terminals at Waterston and South Hook become operational.

However, Derek Lloyd, a spokesman for Petroplus, a joint developer of the Waterston site, confirmed there would be a review of the number and type of tugs as the site became operational.

Captain Mark Andrews, Milford Haven Port Authority's harbourmaster, admitted there would have to be more tugs, including so-called 'shadow' tugs to remain alongside the LNG ships when they are berthed.

"The information we have is that the existing tugs may not be the right ones for the LNG ships. Without a doubt, there will have to be more tugs but exactly how many we don't yet know," he said.