Estimation of Optimum Tug Capacity for VLCC and Its Application to VLCC Terminal in Gwang-Yang Harbor

The total tug capacity needed for berthing/de-berthing operations of a ship may vary depending on the ship type, size, loading conditions, and environmental circumstances. Traditionally, total tug capacity is determined based on the local guidelines of port authorities or on the rule of thumb. However, the social demands for the enhancement of ship safety at harbor and the economical demands for the cost-effectiveness of tug usage makes it necessary for port authorities to develop more reasonable and detailed guidelines on tug usage which takes various conditions into account. In this paper, the method to estimate the optimum tug capacity of VLCC is suggested by considering various ship conditions such as its size, loading conditions, and environmental circumstances such as wind, wave, tidal currents, and geographical characteristics of a terminal. This method is applied to a VLCC terminal located in Gwang-Yang Harbor of Korea and the results are compared with the local guidelines of the harbor, which shows that there may be a room for the amendment of local guidelines on tug usage.