Deliveries include an escort tug for a Greek operator and electric tugs for customers in the Netherlands and Chile. A Canadian design firm has been tapped to work on an electric tug for a northern Chinese port. Finally, the Dutch Government has begun the formal procurement process for emergency towing vessels optimised for use in the North Sea.
South Holland-based sand transport and road construction company ROS Zand en Grindhandel has taken delivery of a new inland pusher tug from towage company Kotug International.
The tug belongs to a series of electric pusher tugs designed by Kotug. The first example in the series has been in operation with Kotug since 2023, transporting barges on behalf of a local cocoa company.
Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd (RAL) has been awarded a contract to design a new electric harbour tug for operation by the Port of Tianjin in northern China.
The tug will be constructed locally by Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard. RAL said the tug will built upon on a conventional propulsion design for the same owner and constructed at the same yard, with two vessels of similar hull form in service, but with a "greener" propulsion system.
Greek towage operator Nemeca has taken delivery of a new escort tug, which has been named Gaia. The tug will join the company's fleet providing services in the ports of Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Corfu, and Kavala.
The vessel is based on a 29-metre escort tug design from Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd. It features a sponsored hull form designed to enhance seakeeping and escort performance, particularly in exposed areas. The 29.4-metre tug has a beam of 13.3 metres and accommodation for a crew of up to ten people.
The Dutch water management agency, Rijkswaterstaat, has started the procurement process for three new emergency response towing vessels (ERTVs) for a 25-year service aimed at increasing safety in the North Sea.
The agency stated the project aims to develop vessels that are "virtually emission-free". The ERTVs are designed to operate on electricity, with "green e-methanol" used for actual emergency towing operations.
Chilean operator Saam Towage formally named a new electric ship assist tug in a ceremony at the Empormontt Passenger Terminal in Puerto Montt on Thursday, July 10.
The new tug has been christened Trapananda in honour of the ancient name of Chilean Patagonia. Its main area of operations will be in Southern Chile, particularly the waters around the Puerto Chacabuco oil terminal in the Aysén region, where it will support the activities of Chilean state-owned petroleum company Enap.