Developments at Kotug

A somewhat unscientific AIS data snapshot of Rotterdam at the time of writing indicated over 30 shiphandling tugs working in Rotterdam. Two of the port’s main tug owners, Kotug and Smit (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Boskalis Westminster BV) have now signed a memorandum of understanding to “merge their European harbour towage operations”.

The 50/50 joint venture is in line with Kotug’s strategy to develop and increase its harbour towage footprint in Europe, the geographic scope of the venture covering the European harbour towage market relating to their existing activities in the Netherlands, Germany and the UK along with Smit’s harbour towage activities in the Netherlands and Belgium. The joint arrangement will see around 60 tugs operating at eleven ports in four countries generating a turnover of around €150m. Implementation of the memorandum of understanding is subject to customary conditions, including a process of due diligence and approval from regulatory agencies in the respective countries involved.

Kotug’s CEO Ard-Jan Kooren said: “The combined operation will allow us to meet the increasing demands of our international joint clients in order to deliver more efficiency. In a market that is consolidating we can offer competitive services against the highest operational and safety standards within the industry.”

A month later Kotug announced they had been awarded a multi-annual exclusive contract to provide towage services in Rotterdam for five members of the G6-Alliance (APL, Hyundai, MOL, NYK Line and OOCL), the agreement taking effect from 1 January 2015. Kotug state the key priorities for the five members of the G6-Alliance with their selection as exclusive towage provider in Rotterdam was to find an operator who could deliver 24/7 services based on reliable, innovative, efficient and safe operations backed by a professional company management system and highly trained and dedicated crew.

Ship-handling towage services in Rotterdam are currently going through something of a period of change with arrival last year of Svitzer Towage and entry into service of two new container terminals for APM Terminals and Rotterdam World Gateway at the Maasvlakte 2 development.

Individual requirements in large ports often demand different types of tugs and here Kotug is well provided for with ASD, Z-peller tractor, and Rotor Tugs in their armoury. They are also a significant player with development of the ‘green’ tug phenomenon with recent introduction of the hybrid Rotor Tugs RT Evolution and RT Emotion in Rotterdam (two further examples were built in Hong Kong). This commitment to hybrid tugs follows the refitting of their Rotterdam based Rotor Tug RT Adriaan in 2012 to become Europe’s first true hybrid tug.

By Peter Barker