Just one year from the formation of ‘ Antwerp Towage’ , a 50/50 joint venture between Hamburg based Fairplay Towage and Multraship Towage & Salvage of Terneuzen, the company has decided to upgrade it’ s tug fleet in the port of Antwerp.

Tugs from the Antwerp Towage fleet handle a tanker in the Port of Antwerp.

Antwerp Towage commenced operation on 18 September 2008 with four tugs, two from each parent company, offering clients a new service at competitive rates. The fleet comprised the 52 tons bollard pull tugs

Fairplay 22

and

Fairplay XVII,

the 65 tons bollard pull

Multratug 5

and

the 38 tons bollard pull Multratug 16. This quartet has worked together assisting seagoing ships at the various Antwerp locks

and

adjacent terminals on the River Schelde.

The success of this new towage service has encouraged the company to strengthen the fleet, by increasing the total bollard pull available from the first of this month. This has been achieved by replacing the Fairplay 22 with the 70 tons bollard pull tug Fairplay III, transferred from the Fairplay fleet in Rotterdam. This vessel is one of a series of four powerful compact ASD tugs delivered to Fairplay by Spanish shipbuilder Astilleros Armon (MJ – Sept 2009).

Since the start of the joint venture operation Antwerp Towage has experienced a steady increase in the number of signed contracts. Varied clients range from small tramp operators up to scheduled container services. The latest

and

largest commitment is a multi-year contract recently signed with German container operator Hapag-Lloyd

and

due to start on 1 January 2010.

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