Recent tug deliveries include one to an Australian towage company and another to the Egyptian Navy, while orders have meanwhile been placed for new vessels for operation in India, Brazil, and Colombia. Coincidentally, all five of this week's featured tugs were designed by the same company.
India's Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has received an order from Polestar Maritime for two 70-tonne bollard pull tugs.
The new order is in addition to a previous contract for three similar tugs that Polestar placed with Udupi-CSL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CSL. The two new vessels will be based on a Robert Allan Ltd design and will be jointly constructed by CSL and Udupi-CSL in Cochin.
Ultratug Colombia has signed a contract for a new harbour tug based on a 24-metre design from Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd. The new vessel is scheduled to be delivered in the third quarter of 2026.
The newbuild will be a sister vessel to another tug currently under construction for Ultratug Mexico. The tug will have an overall length of 24.4 metres, a beam of 12 metres, and accommodation for a crew of up to eight people.
Towage provider Svitzer has signed a contract with Brazilian builder Estaleiro Rio Maguari for the construction of three new tugs. The company stated the investment is to expand its presence in Brazil, catering to both new and existing customers.
The three 23.2-metre tugs, designed by Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd, will have a top speed of 13 knots and a bollard pull of over 70 tonnes. The vessels will also be equipped with Fifi-1 firefighting capabilities.
Towage operator Svitzer Autralia recently welcomed a new harbour tug into service at the Port of Newcastle in New South Wales.
Svitzer Barrington was designed by Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd (RAL). It has an LOA of 32 metres, a beam of 13.7 metres, and an operational draught of approximately 6.1 metres.
The propulsion can deliver a speed of 14.4 knots, a bollard pull of 81 tonnes, and a maximum escort steering force of 124 tonnes at 10 knots.
The Egyptian Navy has taken delivery of its new terminal support and escort tug Ras Alhekma in Alexandria, Egypt. The vessel is the first of a series of five new tugs designed by Robert Allan Ltd (RAL) and built by Alexandria Shipyard.
The 32.7-metre tug features a sponsoned hull form developed by the designer to enhance escort towing and seakeeping performance. The vessel has a beam of 13.2 metres, a gross tonnage of 498, and is classed by Bureau Veritas with notations for Escort Tug and Fire Fighting 1.
Towage operator Svitzer has taken delivery of its first fully electric tug at a ceremony held on June 26 at a shipyard in Turkey.
The vessel is based on a design from Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd. The 25.4-metre tug has a beam of 12.8 metres and a battery capacity of 1,808 kWh from supplier Corvus Energy. It can achieve a bollard pull of 70 tonnes and is equipped with Fi-Fi1 fire-fighting capability.
Italian towage operator Rimorchiatori Napoletani has taken delivery of a new twin Z-drive, diesel-powered tug, which has been named Portosalvo.
The vessel is the first of a series of four sisterships for the operator, with two already confirmed and two under option for delivery in 2025 and 2026. The tug is based on a design from Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd.
The 24.4-metre tug has a beam of 12 metres, navigational draft of approximately 5.45 metres, and accommodation for a crew of up to six people. It can achieve a bollard pull of 70 tonnes and a free-running speed of 12.5 knots. The vessel is equipped with IMO Tier III compliant main engines.