Nongsa Jaya Buana: Tugs for All Jobs

Tucked into a sheltered cove on the northwest corner of Batam Island, Nongsa Jay Buana Shipyard is approached via a short causeway and a road built into the reddish earth of Indonesia’s Batam Island. On entering the yard, the car passes an area of land that is dominated by a series of barges under construction and then on past a double row of eight tugs also under construction.

A modern two-story office block stands proudly at the end of the road. In the office, Yard Manager Mr. Anguan explained that the yard builds these tugs for its own towing company but they are often sold on to other users. At the same time, Branch Manager Budiyanto of the Indonesian Cummins distributor Pr. Altrak 1978 explained the yard uses Cummins engines exclusively. The eight 77-ft by 24-ft tugs, that we saw on the way into the yard, are each powered by a pair of Cummins KTA19-M3 diesels with a combined 1200 HP. The engines turn 1.8x1.7-meter 4-blade propellers through 7:1 reduction gears. This power delivers a ten-knot free running speed and a bollard pull of about 12-tonnes. These tugs will typically employ a towing hook with 200 meters of 10-inch circumference nylon towline linked to a single 250 by 70-foot 4500 dwt barge. Prior to the construction of these eight tugs, designed by well known Sarawak-based Paul Wong, 15 sisters of the same design have been delivered.

The barges and the eight tugs are impressive but they can hardly prepare the visitor for the massive building of tugs in the rest of the yard. Under a traveling crane in a covered building area behind the office block, three tug hulls are being completed in readiness for turning and completion in the outer yard. In that outer yard, three 15.1-ft by 20-ft tugs are each powered by a single Cummins KTA19 M3 engines at the 500 HP power rating. These engines turn a single 1.4-meter propeller through a 5:1 reduction to give the tugs around a six-tonne bollard pull. Two sister vessels are alongside the company pier finishing their outfitting.

Towering over these tugs a 101.7-ft by 29.5-ft tug was taking shape. It will, like two sisters already launched and fitting out alongside, be powered by a pair of Cummins KTA38-M2 main engines each rated for 1200 HP at 1800 RPM. Classed Germanischer Lloyd as +100 A5 Tug +M these handsome vessels are also built to a design from East Malaysia’s Wong’s Shipbuilding Contractor & Designer.

Opposite these vessels a fourth set of tugs is taking shape to an attractive low profile 68.5-ft design. These twin-screw boats, are each powered by a pair of Cummins 855 engines of 350 HP each for a bollard pull of about eight tonnes. All of the tugs building at the yard are fitted with Cummins powered generator sets

It is hard to keep track of just how many tugs, in addition to barges are being built at the Nongsa Jaya Buana yard, but judging from the smile on the yard’s founder Herman Suparman, things are going very well indeed.