Shanghai Port Harbor Tug Fleet Development Planning Study

As the most important transport hub for modern international export-import trade, port assumes the great responsibility of assisting the circulation of the national materials. Therefore, the turnover velocity of port has a direct impact on national economy. As the main force of the port-based workboat, Tugboat fleet has played a critical role in the operation of the port. The fleet scale must meet the need of development of the port; otherwise, the port throughput capacity will be endangered and the port competitiveness and the social-economic benefits will consequently be influenced.Along with the development of ChangJiangKou sea-route dredging project and Yang Shan Deep-Water Harbor putting into production, there is flying growth of the cargo throughput and the inward-and-outward vessels at Shanghai Port as well as the rapid development of large-scale vessels, the demand for the tugboats is increasing in highly speed. Therefore, the tugboat fleet has acquired a good chance to develop. As the professional enterprises which undertaking the vessel pulling and towing services in Shanghai Port, Shanghai Harbor FuXing Shipping Service Company and Deep-Water Harbor Shipping Service Company must be cognizant of the importance of rationally tugboat fleet planning, improving the comprehensive strength and ensuring port normally running. Therefore, it's necessarily to research the rational fleet scale and how to develop the tugboat fleet. The main purpose of this thesis is to provide some references for above-mentioned tugboat enterprise by academic research.First, this thesis has a look back at the theoretical and practical outcomes in terms of researches on fleet planning. On the basis of this, the author will put forward researching object of the thesis, that is, the Shanghai Port tugboat fleet in the period of rapidly expansion.Chapter two analyzes the characteristics and operation process of tugboat fleet, as well as discusses the principles of tugboat deployment for arrival vessels and the evaluation criteria of tugboat fleet planning; On the basis of introducing the present situation of tugboat fleet at Shanghai port, chapter three analyzes the optimal type of tugboat and then the thesis points out that priority should be given to developing tug with power of 5000-6000PS and 4000PS. Finally, according to the forecast of the future port throughput, the scale and structure of the tugboat-fleet needed at Shanghai port have been determined.The core of the thesis is to establish a mathematical modal in order to make researches on the strategy of the tugboat fleet development year by year. As the conclusion of chapter three being the prerequisite and assume enlarging fleet scale by purchasing and renting , the thesis will set up a dynamic planning modal so as to achieve the purpose of minimizing the cost within the period of planning. By working out a solution to the modal, a best development strategy, or a detailed strategy for annual ship purchasing and renting, will be put forward.