Svitzer Announce Huge Tug Order

Part of the AP Moller Group, Svitzer acquired Dutch based Wijsmuller in 2001. The deal included the fleet of Wijsmuller Marine Ltd purchased from Cory Towage Ltd in the UK less than a year earlier. These recent acquisitions have resulted in a period of consolidation and the disposal of a number of outdated tugs. A total of 240 tugs is now operated under the SvitzerWijsmuller banner in 24 countries, by a staff reported to number over 2000. The new vessels are required as replacements for existing tonnage and to service new contracts in various parts of the world and will be delivered between 2004-2006.

One of the most significant orders placed is for six tugs from the Moller owned Danish Odense Steel Shipyard, with options for a further eight. The vessels will be built by their subsidiary the Baltija Shipyard in Lithuania, an arrangement used to produce an earlier class of successful harbour and coastal tugs for the Svitzer group. Spanish yard Astilleros Zamakona of Bilbao will now build four tugs, doubling the number already on order for the British fleet.

Singapore based ASL Shipyard Pte Ltd has an order for six tugs and a further three vessels will be built in Australia by Strategic Marine of Perth.

Two new safety standby vessels, already under construction, will also be procured from Sea Tankers of the UK. At the time of writing very little information was available on the type and deployment of the various vessels.