Construction begins on two new tugs for India's Polestar Maritime

India's Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has begun construction on two new ASD tugs in a series ordered by local operator Polestar Maritime.

The two new vessels will be based on a Robert Allan Ltd design and will be jointly constructed by CSL and its subsidiary Udupi CSL in Cochin.

The tugs will each have a length of 33 metres, a beam of 12.2 metres, a draught of 4.2 metres, and a bollard pull of 70 tonnes.

The tugs will be equipped with two 1,838kW low-sulphur diesel engines and 2,700mm controllable-pitch propellers from Niigata as well as two Cummins auxiliary engines and two harbour generators.

Their design complies with the approved standard tug specifications promulgated by the Indian Government under its "make in India" initiative as well as the class rules of the Indian Register of Shipping and the American Bureau of Shipping.

The new Polestar Maritime tugs will be sisters of Konna Star (pictured), which was delivered by Udupi CSL in 2024.