Posted on May 31, 2023
New tugs have been delivered to a South African port operator and a Dutch towage company. Orders have meanwhile been placed for vessels to support harbour operations in Australia and offshore renewables activities in the Netherlands.
South African port operator takes delivery of dredging tug
South Africa’s Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) recently took delivery of a new tug built locally by Damen Shipyards Cape Town.
Named Mohoma after the Sesotho translation of “to plough,” the tug will be capable of both general towing and dredging, thanks to the installation of seabed leveling equipment for use in inner port waters.
The newbuild has a length of 33 metres, a beam of nine metres, and a bollard pull of 45 tonnes. Ploughing can be performed at depths of up to 25 metres.
Netherlands’ Multraship christens tug pair
Netherlands-based Multraship Towage and Salvage has formally named the two newest additions to its fleet of tugs.
The tugs are the 12-metre Multratug 5 and the 28-metre Multratug 6. Both were built by the Damen Shipyards Group and will be homeported in Terneuzen for operation in the Scheldt River.
Multratug 6 is also fitted with firefighting and winterisation equipment in fulfillment of owner requirements.
Svitzer Australia’s future tugs to serve Port of Newcastle
Danish towage company Svitzer has awarded a contract for the construction of two new tugs in a series for its operations in Australia.
The tugs will be built by a Turkish shipyard to a design by Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd. Svitzer said the vessels will deliver an estimated 10 to 15 per cent reduction in fuel use compared to other tugs on the market.
The tugs will be built to a specification that also enables biofuel operations bringing tank-to-wake carbon emissions to zero.
Svitzer expects to deploy the tugs at the Port of Newcastle in New South Wales beginning in 2025.
Van Wijngaarden Marine Services orders renewables support workboat
Dutch operator Van Wijngaarden Marine Services (VWMS) has awarded Damen Shipyards Group a contract for the construction of a new catamaran workboat to support its clients in the offshore renewables sector.
The vessel will have a length of 37 metres, a minimum draught of 2.3 metres, a DP2 system, and accommodations for 16 personnel. Duties will include dredging support and anchor handling.
The diesel-electric propulsion system will include two azimuthing thrusters, a conventional propeller, and two compact jet thrusters in the bow. This arrangement will provide improved positioning capability as well as deliver a bollard pull of up to 35 tonnes.
VWMS has also opted for a Damen Marine NOx reduction system with advanced active emissions control using selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to make the vessel IMO Tier III-certified.
The design may be configured to accommodate a deck-mounted containerised battery to allow the vessel to operate on zero emissions in future.
The catamaran will sail under the name Waddenstroom. Construction is ongoing at Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld.
