Danish towage operator Svitzer has awarded Indian shipbuilder Swan Defence and Heavy Industries (SDHI) a contract for the construction of four new harbour tugs in a series.
The 32-metre tugs will be built to a design developed by Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd (RAL). Construction will take place at SDHI's yard in Gujarat.
Kasper Friis Nilaus, Chief Executive Officer of Svitzer, said that the RAL tug series will offer, "significant benefits to customers in terms of releasing operational constraints and improving port productivity, sustainability and safety margins."
Deliveries of the first vessels under this order are scheduled to take place from the first quarter of 2028.
Svitzer said the tugs will be biofuel-, IMO Tier III- and Fifi1-ready. The vessels will also be designed to provide 80 tonnes of bollard pull and deliver improved manoeuvrability and escort capability.
Two tugs from the same series have been in commercial operations for more than 12 months at the Port of Newcastle in Australia.