BERG Propulsion, a Swedish propulsion and system’s integration supplier founded in 1929 has a long history of operating through dealers in the U.S. At last year’s International WorkBoat Show (IWBS), that U.S. distributor partnership was on display in a shared booth with Thompson Marine.
The focus of BERG Propulsion as a brand lies in delivering high-performance solutions. In the U.S. market, their recent emphasis has been on tugboats, making IWBS a fitting venue.
While relatively new to the U.S. tugboat industry, they've witnessed significant growth in the past decade. Their shift towards tugboats is driven by market trends and product development. A company representative spoke to the potential within the tugboat market, from enhancing vessel efficiency, to the expansion and replenishment of fleets.
The recent collaboration with Thompson Tractor (Marine) in New Orleans marks a strategic move. With Thompson now covering the entire U.S. as BERG Propulsion's distributor, the partnership has expanded beyond Alabama and the western part of Florida.
At IWBS 2023, the companies devised a U.S.-centric spare parts strategy, ensuring comprehensive coverage for every ship set that goes out. This includes maintaining spare parts and units on U.S. soil, independently managed from the Swedish factory.
Berg’s hybrid electric propulsion system includes high levels of redundancy for safety as well as the ability to switch seamlessly between operating modes with the push of a button. A vessel can run on main engines only, gensets only, or a combination of the two, optimizing energy use across the entire operating profile.
A tug in transit can minimize energy consumption and eliminate main engine wear by running on a single generator set. In hybrid mode, power is balanced between the diesel engines and electrical motors to optimize fuel consumption, maneuvering response, and bollard performance.
