Three new tugs for Multraship

Terneuzen based Multraship are part of the Muller Maritime Group and have been involved in the shipping industry for 230 years. This order can be seen as a significant expansion for the company who are active in a wide sphere of activities including: harbour towage, salvage and wreck removal, ocean towage and support to the dredging and energy industries.

Multraship operate a diverse fleet of over 30 vessels ranging from sea-going tugs to fast response tenders and floating sheerlegs. Their base at Terneuzen provides services in the Zeeland Seaports area on the river Scheldt and is a strategically important location for maintaining rapid salvage response provision for the occasional groundings that occur in this busy waterway. Passage to and from Antwerp involves navigation through winding and tricky shoal waters close to the well maintained deepwater channel.

Multraship already operate three modern Damen built tugs and this order involves repeat examples of the same models and takes the form of two 83tbp ASD Tug 3212s that will operate as sister vessels to the Damen ASD 3213 Multratug 19 delivered in 2012. The noteworthy element of this order package is for a 61tbp Damen ASD Tug 2810 Hybrid that will join two other ASD 2810s, Multratug 26 and Multratug 27 delivered in 2013 (non- hybrid). The two ASD 3213s are being built by Damen’s subsidiary yard in Vietnam and are scheduled for delivery at the end of the third quarter 2015. The ASD 2810 Hybrid is being built at Damen’s Romania facilities and due for delivery in the first quarter of 2015.

The choice of a hybrid version of the ASD 2810 is interesting as an example of the growing interest in hybrid tugs and follows earlier entries into this new area of development by fellow Dutch companies Iskes Towage & Salvage and Kotug International BV. The hybrid arrangement involves a diesel-direct, diesel-electric and battery powered propulsion system. It is anticipated that fuel savings between ten and 30% and reduced emissions of about 60% will be achieved depending on how the vessel is used.

Leendert Muller, managing director of Multraship, says: “Multraship continues to expand its client base in the offshore energy sector as well as in its harbour towage operations. All three ASD tugs are highly suitable for these markets whilst their FIFI 1 fire-fighting equipment makes them especially valuable for emergency response. We are delighted to have collaborated with Damen on our fleet expansion programme. We are both family-owned companies with a Dutch heritage and an international outlook, so we make a good fit.”

By Peter Barker