With another busy month of deliveries and orders, we look at news involving 13 vessels, all with predominantly European involvement.
Damen Shipyards Group has in the past delivered 33 vessels to ADNOC Group, a number now receiving a boost with delivery of six Stan Tug 1606 line-handlers to ADNOC Logistics & Services from Sharjah-based Albwardy Damen. The client is the logistics arm of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and the 16tbp, twin-screw vessels will provide ‘critical marine services across petroleum ports in Abu Dhabi.’
More delivery news from Damen Sharjah involves Boluda Towage Europe and the Port of Zeebrugge receiving a significant boost with arrival of VB Flandes and VB Samba. Boluda has chosen the high-spec ART 80-32 Rotortug for these new additions to its fleet, the pair meeting Tier III emission standards and certified to the highest firefighting requirements.
SAAM Towage has increased the number of Sanmar-built RAmparts 2400SX tugs in its fleet to three with delivery of Saam Palenque. The 24m long, 72tbp compact tug previously worked at Izmir in Turkey as part of Sanmar’s own fleet and will join its sister Saam Valparaiso in Panama while the third of the trio Albatros is operating for SAAM in Peru. Saam Palenque’s owner states the ABS-classed tug will be ‘dedicated to our operations at the AES LNG Terminal (Costa Norte), the TELFER Tanks Fuel Oil Terminal and the PPC Cristobal Container Terminal.’
Staying in Turkey, news is imminent of the name of the newbuild MED-A2360 (RAmparts 2300-MM) tug from Med Marine for SAFEEN, the maritime services arm of Abu Dhabi Ports. The tug includes coastal towing as well as conventional shiphandling in its repertoire with Caterpillar 3512 main engines, each developing 1,765kW at 1,800rpm providing performance figures of 60tbp and speed 12kn, Caterpillar also supplying two C4.4 86ekW gensets. Basic dimensions include LOA 23m, beam 10.9m and a draught of 5m with deck equipment including a THR Marine EFTW 300kN towing winch forward and Toimil Marine T12505M/3 deck crane providing a SWL of 1.03t and 10.1m. The vessel will be equipped for firefighting and provides accommodation for six persons.
Refloating the stranded container ship Ever Given in the Suez Canal included assistance from the tugs Svitzer Port Said 1 and 2. Svitzer has now extended its current contract with Suez Canal Authority to include two additional tugs to be built by Cheoy Lee Shipyard. The current two vessels are Robert Allan Ltd RAstar 3200 designs, also products of Cheoy Lee Shipyard operating out of Port Said at the Mediterranean Sea entrance to the canal and the two new tugs will operate from Port Suez at the Red Sea entrance. The 70tbp tugs will be manned by all Egyptian crews and are due to commence operations in Q4 2021.
Returning finally to Damen, the Netherlands-based shipyard has secured a notable order from Fairplay Towage Polska for a 45tbp Shoalbuster 2711 ICE tug. The vessel is under construction in Poland and will be engaged in ‘diverse operations’ including in the offshore wind industry in the Baltic and North Seas. The 27m long version of the shallow-draught Shoalbuster series is a well-established variant of this popular marque and as is common with Damen’s products able to be modified to suit customers’ requirements including non-standard features. This particular example is said to ‘stand out’ however as it will be the first Shoalbuster 2711 to feature ice class allowing working all year round in Baltic ports, it will also be the first vessel of this type not only compliant with but certified to IMO Tier III emission regulations.
Fairplay Towage Polska, offshore wind project manager Arkadiusz Ryz said: "This vessel will be the first in our fleet of this power that is able to enter Baltic and North Sea ports with limited depths. I am convinced that this Shoalbuster, meeting IMO Tier III emission requirements, will open up new markets for us. She has the potential to play an important role in developing our presence in the emerging offshore wind industry in Poland. A big advantage of the project is the local content – Damen is building the vessel entirely in Poland. She will be the first such vessel built here, though I think she will not be the last one."
By Peter Barker
