A Carver Pump Story
Fueling Tugboats in the Panama Canal
Approximately 14,000 ships travel through the Panama Canal each year, including a significant number of tugboats.
Improving Efficiency
Tugboats play an essential role for the canal, assisting vessels through any of the twelve locks and staying close in case of power or steering lose. The tugboats must be re-fueled from terminals positioned along transit routes, which is why decision-makers managing the Panama Canal decided to build a new terminal at the Miraflores lock, near Gatun Lake. More fuel pumping terminals along the canal means the tugboats will have more access points for refueling, thereby saving time and improving efficiency.
Fueling Along the Canal
The pumps in this specific application are transporting diesel fuel from the terminal to a tank farm, whereby the fuel can then be supplied to the fueling stations. As an added benefit, the tank farm will also supply fuel to the co-generation plant that provides power to the locks. CANFF-22, a local engineering firm collaborated with the managers at the Panama Canal and the engineers at Carver Pump to determine a perfect solution.
After a thorough evaluation of the system design requirements, API Maxum OH2 horizontal end suction pump was selected. The Maxum 8x6x13 pumps with 50-horsepower were installed and are in dual service with one main pump running continuously, and the other acting as a back-up. Intended to handle 1,200 gallons per minute at 117 feet of head, the main pump transports diesel oil at 0.87 specific gravity. The perpetual need for diesel for the tugboat fueling stations and the power plant is why this pump is perfect for this application.
Experience
80 Years
Pump Performance
1,200 GPM
Meeting the Requirements
The API 610 compliant pump is specifically engineered for hydrocarbons with WCB construction. With the constant activity at the Panama Canal, the engineers at CANFF-22 chose these pumps because of the proven reliability.
Carver Pumps reputation for designing pumps that are built to last extends all over the world.
Oil & Gas
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