HARBOUR & TERMINAL

ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2014

JOURNAL

HYBRIDDAMEN DELIVERS ITS FIRST EVER HYBRID TUG AT ITS 2014Damen will deliver its first ever hybrid

tug - the ASD Tug 2810 Hybrid – to

the launching customer Iskes Towage

& Salvage at ITS 2014 in Hamburg.

DUTCH NAVYOPTS FOR HYBRID TUG TECHNOLOGYDamen’s new energy efficient ASD

Tug 2810 Hybrid design has been

selected by the Defence Material

Organisation (DMO) of the Royal

Netherlands Navy (RNLN), following

an open and transparent bidding

process conducted according to

European procurement law.

IN THIS ISSUE: PETERSEN & ALPERS LAUNCHING CUSTOMER NEW ASD TUG 2913 P3 | NEW DAMEN STAN TUG

3011 NOW AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY P6 | RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF TUGS FOR USE AT PORTS

AND TERMINALS P8 | FEW VESSELS HAVE THE PEDIGREE OF A STAN TUG P13 | EB MARINE'S STAN TUG 1205

P14 SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL FOR AUSTRALIAN NAVY P16 | STAN TUG 1004 SIMEK P18 | CONSTRUCTION OF MOIN

CONTAINER TERMINAL GETS UNDERWAY P19 | TWIN ASD TUGS 2411 MEET CENTREPORT REQUIREMENTS P20

Project Management Van Andel PR Support Editors Damen PR Department, Van Andel PR Support Texts Jack Gaston, Helen Hill, JLA Media Ltd, Janny Kok, Charlotte Boudesteijn, Andrew Spurrier Design & Art Direction Damen PR Department, Tijmen Kielen Photography Damen PR Department, Tijmen Kielen, Jack Gaston, Charlotte Boudesteijn, Kotug, Robert Allan Ltd., Rotortug B.V., Royal Dutch Navy, RUA, EB Marine A/S, Smit Lamnalco, Simek, APM Terminals Printing Tuijtel Damen Shipyards Group, Avelingen West 20, 4202 MS Gorinchem, the Netherlands, www.damen.com, info@damen.com All rights reserved, Copyright Damen Shipyards Group

DAMEN HARBOUR & TERMINAL JOURNALDamen products, markets and

developments from our business

partners’ perspective.

RENEWAL MOROCCAN

HARBOUR TUG FLEET

DELIVERY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

SMIT LAMNALCO

UNIQUE COOPERATION LEADS TO

LAUNCH NEW HYBRID ROTOR®TUG

ARGENTINA PROTECTS

QUALITY FLEET STANDARD page 12

page 4

page 2

page 11 page 17

page 10

DAMEN DELIVERS ITS FIRST EVER HYBRID TUG AT ITS 2014AVERAGE FUEL SAVINGS OF UP TO 30%

This first order has already been followed by five more. The Defence Material Organisation of the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) has opted for three Damen-designed ASD Tugs 2810 Hybrid in response to current and future develop-ments in emissions reduction and envi-ronmentally friendly shipping.

Additionally, two Robert Allan designed Rotor®tugs ART 80-32 Hybrid for KOTUG, with a Hybrid Propulsion System de-signed and supplied by Aspin, Kemp & Associates Ltd. have been ordered.

Damen is pioneering in this field and unique in the shipbuilding world as it is the only shipyard building hybrid tugs for stock.

Depending on the operating profile of a customer’s tug, the ASD Tug 2810 Hybrid, which has a combination of diesel-direct and diesel-electric propulsion, or purely electric with battery options, facilitates average fuel savings of up to 30% and cuts local emissions by up to 40%. The tug has a bollard pull of 60 tonnes.

Iskes, the launching customer, was estab-lished in 1928 and is based in IJmuiden near Amsterdam. The company has been operating a conventional Damen ASD Tug 2810 since November 2011.

Iskes owner and Managing Director Jim Iskes says: “We already had a very good experience with our existing Damen ASD Tug 2810, which is ideally suited to Amsterdam. We are very happy with its performance and so is the crew; it was a logical move to choose Damen for the hybrid version.

“Damen welcomed our input and recog-nises that we know what we are talking about. Many of the things we require are not standard but Damen has worked with us to incorporate them.”

Erik van Schaik, Design & Proposal Engineer, Damen Tugs says: “In the past many green solutions were simply too ex-pensive for the tugboat market. We were very mindful that this vessel had to cut fuel and emissions, but at the same time it had to be positioned at an attractive price for the market. We wanted to make being green commercially attractive too.”

Damen will deliver its first ever hybrid tug – the ASD Tug 2810 Hybrid –

to the launching customer Iskes Towage & Salvage at ITS 2014 in Hamburg. The new Standard answers market de-mand for more powerful tugs as vessels continue to get larger and larger and it has been designed as a highly manoeu-vrable, powerful tug, ideally suited for busy ports where space is limited.

Peter Lindenau, Managing Director of Petersen & Alpers, comments that the company’s previous experience with Damen tugs led them to invest in this more powerful compact tug.

Based in Hamburg, Petersen & Alpers has already operated a Damen ASD Tug 2411 for five years and through a previ-ous joint venture via its affiliated com-pany Towmar Baltic in Klaipeda, Petersen

& Alpers also has a positive experience of the Damen ASD Tug 2810.

“The ASD Tug 2411 is a good working tool for confined port areas. We are pleased with this vessel and our compet-itors have also bought them. The pilots appreciate them as well because they can immediately respond to their orders and our crew is also very happy about being able to give quick towing assis-tance. The ASD Tug 2411 has proven it-self in being able to operate bow-to-bow when a lot of ASD tugs have problems doing this properly. Going alongside, making fast is also comfortable because the thrust is easily controlled thanks to the integrated slipping clutch.

“The new ASD Tug 2913 will be larger and much stronger but we expect her to be equally manoeuvrable, which is vital when there isn’t much space in a port like Hamburg which has small basins and when the vessels are continually getting bigger. And for the crew they have spa-cious accommodation - they almost have a dance floor it is so spacious!”

Mr Lindenau says it is also important for the company to be able to work with a shipyard that allowed it to have input into the design and they have worked closely with the Damen team on a very specific bridge setup. “We look very carefully at the ergonomics, we want everything to be clear for the master,

engineer and deckhand when they are towing – they must have a very good over-view straightaway of all the most important information and devices to be operated.”

Cost-effective maintenance is also impor-tant, he stresses, adding that the ASD Tug 2411 has very good quality coatings.

With delivery in Hamburg expected in January 2015, the new 80 tonnes bollard pull ASD Tug 2913 will be used to replace a 30 tonnes bollard pull tug.

The Damen ASD Tug 2913 will be built for stock.

PETERSEN & ALPERS LAUNCHING CUSTOMER NEW ASD TUG 2913

Esteemed German towage operator Petersen & Alpers, which is one of the oldest maritime

companies in Germany, is the launching customer for a new Damen tug type, the ASD Tug 2913.

“THE ASD TUG 2411 IS A GOOD WORKING TOOL FOR CONFINED PORT AREAS. THE NEW ASD TUG 2913 WILL BE LARGER AND MUCH STRONGER BUT WE EXPECT HER TO BE EQUALLY MANOEUVRABLE.”

STEP ON BOARD AT ITS HAMBURG!

2 3

In a move that took the tug industry completely by surprise Damen, Robert Allan Ltd., Rotortug B.V.

and KOTUG International B.V. have teamed up in a recent project, which will see one of two Rotor®tugs

ART 80-32 Hybrid launched at the ITS 2014 in Hamburg.

“Damen is showing that it is client focused and an open minded shipyard in that it will build other designs, not just its own, and it will build what the client wants.”

Coen Boudesteijn, Damen Product Director of Tugs, com-ments: “For Damen it is a special experience to build Robert Allan Ltd. designed tugs at the high level of the Damen Standard for our customer KOTUG. Development of a complete new Damen design like ASD Tug

3212 takes us about three years. Quality is in the details! These Rotor®tugs are delivered with a lead-time of only 18 months.

This complete new design was the result of a dedicated team effort, encompassing our experience from the development of our proven ASD and Stan Tug Series. A number of truly inno-vative developments in the new Rotor®tugs ART 80-32 Hybrid are the result of a close cooperation of the Damen Tugs team, Damen Research, Damen Engineering and the Robert Allan Ltd. design team.”

As well as being the first time Damen has built a Rotor®tug, this also represents that Robert Allan Ltd. is designing the Rotor®tug on an exclusive basis. Robert Allan Ltd. has designed the two Damen-built Rotor®tugs ART 80-32 Hybrid, as well as four stand-ard Rotor®tugs being built in

Cheoy Lee Shipyards in Hong Kong. Jim Hyslop, Manager, Project Development Principal at Robert Allan Ltd., explains more.

Established in 1930, the third generation Robert Allan still works at the naval architects’ firm, although the company was sold to a group of employees in 2008. Jim comments:

“Independence is very important to us, we are not tied to any equipment manufacturers, yards etc. It is a real honour that Mr Allan trusts us to carry on and uphold the name, tradition and quality.”

Robert Allan Ltd. is probably most well known for its tugs, escort tugs, fireboats and ferries. Based in Vancouver, the company has designed boats for KOTUG for about 10 years and was officially named the exclusive designer of Rotor®tug at ITS in 2012.

Jim admits that the new KOTUG contract has taken a slight shift in mindset. “In many cases we compete with Damen tug de-signs and we work with a lot of yards that compete directly with Damen so again, we indirectly compete.”

Evan Willemsen, Managing Director at Rotortug B.V. adds that for Rotortug B.V. too, this contract has led to a new way of thinking. “We used to design and construct Rotor®tugs but now with Robert Allan Ltd. be-ing the exclusive designer of the Rotor®tug, Rotortug B.V. is

the patent holder and we provide a lot of input in the design process.”

He agrees with Jim that the new cooperation has taken some getting used to. “A few years ago Damen was our direct com-petition, as were all other naval architects and shipbuilders. So it has been a 180-degree turn.

However, at the end of the day we have actually teamed up with the major players in the world and together with the cus-tomer – in this case KOTUG - we can design according to our customer needs.”

Jim adds: “Ultimately this has come about because of KOTUG; they are our client and a good one. We trust them. Ton Kooren and Robert Allan mutually respect each other. KOTUG supports us and assists us to come up with the right solutions. It is an on-going collaboration process.

Damen is a quality yard and yes, we do have different philosophies in that Robert Allan Ltd. is more about custom-design, one-offs, while Damen is a specialist in standardisation. But I think we will all benefit from this arrangement as will the Rotor®tug concept.”

AJ emphasises: “If you consider the hybrid version, this saves 25% in fuel consumption and 45% in emissions. With this addi-tion to the Rotor®tug range we are taking responsibility for any future rules and regulations to come. Like my grandfather and father, we are always pioneering.”

Coen adds: “With the new Rotor®tugs ART 80-32 Hybrid, Damen is pioneering in the field of customised tugs and unique in the shipbuilding world as it is the only shipyard building dif-ferent types of hybrid tugs and building them for stock. These new generations of hybrid tugs are both economic and environ-mentally friendly. Damen has a distinct vision.”

“KOTUG, Damen, Robert Allan Ltd. and Rotortug B.V. are always looking at what’s going on in the market and we all have fantas-tic quality brands. We can learn from each other, we are leading companies doing a project and I look forward to future cooper-ation,” AJ stresses.

“We are proud to put the Damen logo on our site. We are all very proud to be partners.”

Damen’s new Harbour & Terminal Journal asks what brought a renowned tug designer and a world-class shipbuilder - which has its own extensive portfolio of tugs - together, even though they are more often known as fierce competitors. Undoubtedly, the key to this unusual move is the international maritime service company KOTUG – a cus-tomer of all of the companies.

Ard-Jan Kooren - better known as AJ - President of KOTUG, readily admits that it is a bold step adding, that KOTUG, Damen and Robert Allan Ltd. are all known to push the boundaries and this is no exception. It makes sense to bring a top designer and top builder together, he says.

Headquartered in Rotterdam, KOTUG is a four-generation family firm, established in 1911. Since 2005, the company has expanded rapidly purchasing more than 39 newbuilds,

as well as some second-hand vessels from the market. The Dutch company now has some 50 tugs in its fleet, 30 of which are Rotor®tugs.

Originally designed by AJ’s father Ton, the Rotor®tug is dear to KOTUG’s heart, although KOTUG and Rotortug B.V. are now separate companies. KOTUG operates tugs in the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, Cameroon, Australia and has three on charter in Russia.

AJ explains: “It just occurred to me one day, that we are building our vessels worldwide and why not have a relationship with Damen – known as a quality, established company - right here in the Netherlands. Damen always has a good name as a quality company and being able to deliver in a very short lead time.”

During discussions that followed regarding KOTUG’s planned new building pro-gramme he outlined the new hybrid Rotor®tug design to Damen. “I asked why not consider building Rotor®tugs, alongside your own portfolio?” The three parties; Damen, Robert Allan Ltd. and Rotortug B.V. have signed an agreement, which allows Damen to build the Rotor®tug ART 80-32 Hybrid for third party clients.

THE NEW ROTOR®TUG

ART 80-32 CLASS

The new Advanced Rotor®tugs (ART) will incor-porate the patented triple Azimuthing Rotor®tug concept, featuring enhanced omni-directional manoeuvrability and the benefits of a fully redun-dant and precise propulsion machinery configu-ration. The Rotor®tug concept offers increased security for ship-handling and escort towing, as well as enhanced crew safety.

At 32 m long, the vessels have an installed power of 3 x 1765 kW, delivering a bollard pull of 80 tonnes over the stern and bow. The hull form has been developed from Robert Allan Ltd.’s high performance escort tugs. The Rotor®tugs ART 80-32 will also feature the XeroPoint Hybrid Pro-pulsion System designed and supplied by Aspin, Kemp & Associates Ltd. and this is similar to the first E-Kotug, RT Adriaan, which is a retrofitted vessel operating in the port of Rotterdam.

Evan Willemsen, Managing Director at Rotortug B.V. says: “I can now concentrate on telling people the major advantages the Rotor®tug holds over any other propulsion configuration.”

In his opinion the main advantages are that the Rotor®tug is the only tug designed to work bow first – it is always able to sail bow first, he stresses. There is a lot of redundancy, with a high BP capa-bility possible even if there is a failure. Operators never have to reposition their tug because they work well indirect or direct at all speeds, he adds.

And even in severe weather, the Rotor®tug can easily be controlled and manoeuvred. “Her high and immediate steering forces with little heeling angle at a vector response time of virtually “0” seconds makes it the best escort tug around. You never lose control. Rotor®tugs really created a different way of ship handling. There is push/pull method, which is very slow, but we don’t have to push on the side of the ship but against the tow wire instead, again with a zero response time to follow pilots’ orders.”

Ultimately, the Rotor®tug works very well in con-fined areas and this makes it possible to reduce the number of tugs per port call, he stresses.

SHELL AUSTRALIA HAS

AWARDED A MAJOR

CONTRACT

Shell Australia has awarded a major contract for the design, construction and operation of three Infield Support Vessels to support its Prelude FLNG Project, offshore Australia. KT Maritime Services Australia Pty Ltd (joint venture partner-ship of KOTUG and Teekay) will supply three 42 m, 100 tonnes bollard pull Rotor®tugs to assist in product offloading during the operations phase of the project.

UNIQUE COOPERATIONLEADS TO LAUNCH OF NEW ROTOR®TUG ART 80-32 HYBRID

ARD-JAN KOOREN:

"We can learn from each other, we are leading

companies doing a project and I look forward to future

cooperation."

4 5

After undergoing successful trials, when a bollard pull of 70 tonnes and speed of 13.1 knots were achieved, the Stan Tug 3011 has proven a comfortable tug, with low noise and vibration levels and she has excellent sailing and manoeuvring characteristics.

Twin screw fixed pitch propellers in twin nozzles and high performance rudders guarantee optimal manoeuvrability and very good fuel efficiency.

The Stan Tug 3011 is available for im-mediate delivery from the brand new workboats shipyard: Damen Song Cam Shipyards in Haiphong, Vietnam.

This vessel is a cost effective, compact, modern state-of-the-art twin screw, multi-purpose tug with MTU 16V 4000M63 and Reintjes gearboxes. Designed for world-wide deployment, the tug is suited for operations in up to a 37C water tempera-ture and 47C to -15C air temperature.

Low maintenance costs, due to proven technology, with straight line propulsion, 2800 mm DMC Optima nozzles running in closed oil bath propeller shafts and proven hydraulic steering systems guarantee mini-mum maintenance. As always with Damen’s proven and relia-ble Stan Tug quality, the new tug type has strong hull construction, 10 mm hull plating, a durable, high quality epoxy paint system and a maintenance-free closed cooling sys-tem for the main/auxiliary engines.

The tug is fitted with modern ventilation, heating and air conditioning systems and a high level of thermal and acoustical insulation.The ergonomically designed, spacious wheelhouse has a modern layout with joystick controls for the main engines and rudders. Fitted with basic GMDSS A1 nautical equipment, the tug can also be fitted with A2 and A3 as an option.

Modern, well-appointed accommodation in light colours, with wood finished car-pentry is provided for a crew of 10.

NEW DAMEN STAN TUG 3011 IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY

The Damen Stan Tug 3011 is the latest development of Damen Product Group

‘Tugs’ in the Stan Tug Series. The new tug will replace the famous Stan Tug 2909

of which almost 50 tugs were built over the years.

The customised versions of the Stan Tug

3011 are entirely suited as a:

■ Harbour/coastal tug for ship assistance because she has a very high bollard pull of 70 tonnes.

■ Deep sea tug by extending her fuel capacity to slightly over 200 m3 from the 154 m3 in the standard version.

■ Anchor handling tug, with optional stern roller, shark jaws, tugger winch and towing/anchor handling winch.

■ Hose handling tug, with optional open stern, capstans and extra bulwark doors, hydraulic crane and bow thruster.

■ Salvage tug, with optional FiFi sets 600, 1200 or 2400 m3/hour, towing winch with 600 m steel wire.

All cabins are airy with a settee, lockers and sanitary facilities and comply with the latest international IMO and MLC regulations

Additionally, the basic design of the Stan Tug 3011 can be customised with extra optional equipment, making it capable of fulfilling a variety of roles.

6 7

Specialist naval architects and shipbuild-ers work hard to meet the exacting de-mands of tugowners and their clients. Damen has contributed enormously in the development of vessels tailored to meet the demands of their clients with well researched hull and propulsion de-signs. The company’s policy of develop-ing high quality vessels to standard designs has proved highly successful.

Increasingly higher bollard pull figures are still in demand, as ships grow larg-er, but modern tugs also need the ability to apply that bollard pull in exactly the right place at the right time. Safe oper-ation, economy, in terms of manpower and fuel, along with reliability and main-tainability are high on the tugowners list of priorities.

Damen has produced a range of efficient single and twin-screw vessels in their Stan Tug and Workboat ranges since the 1970s and continue to do so. In keeping with Damen practice the vessels are designed for series production and regularly updated.

Among the hull and propulsion designs that have evolved, the most popular choice for shiphandling today is the azimuthing stern drive (ASD) propulsion system, followed by Tractor tugs using propulsion units located beneath the forward portion of the hull.

In 1993 Damen reacted to demands from the towage industry by introducing the first ASD Tug 3110. Named the Citta Della Spezia, the 30.82m tug had 3300 bKw main engines and a bollard pull ahead of 57 tonnes and 46 tonnes tow-ing astern. That vessel was an immedi-ate success, remaining in production for many years with over 100 built.

A close relationship with clients, includ-ing after sales service, enables each design to be continuously reviewed and refined in the light of operational experi-ence. As part of that process new vessels are introduced, and others discontinued.

By 2000, a direct successor to the ASD Tug 3110, the ASD Tug 3111 was intro-duced, with many refinements and a bol-lard pull of 65 tonnes. It was the handling characteristics of this tug that made true

‘bow to bow’ operation a reality. The first ASD Tug 2810, a smaller 60 tonnes bol-lard pull version was also introduced at this time. That design has grown enor-mously and remains the vessel of choice in many ports around the world. SMIT Harbour Towage alone has 20+ and a to-tal of 150 + have been built. The ASD Tug 2810 design was chosen to be Damen’s first ‘true hy-brid’ tugboat .

Demand for a, powerful, agile, ‘compact’ ASD tug capable for assisting large ships in confined waters led to the develop-ment of the ASD Tug 2411. The 24.47m tug, of 4180 bKw and 70 tonnes bollard pull is capable of operating with a crew of two. Many have been sold world-wide in competition with designs from elsewhere.

In recent years a massive demand for shiphandling tugs to operate in difficult tidal and weather conditions at exposed wharves, offshore oil and gas terminals, causing intense competition among shipyards, designers and propulsion manufacturers.

Damen introduced the high performance ASD Tug 3213 to meet those demands in 2009. Built specifically to carry out shiphandling, towing, fire-fighting, and escort duties in exposed locations the first four tugs went into service with SMIT. The 32.14m vessels are powered by Caterpillar engines developing a total of 5420 bKw. The result is a bollard pull of 95 tonnes and a top speed of over 14 knots ahead and astern.

Three years later the 80 tonnes bollard pull ASD Tug 3212 was introduced and immediately attracted great interest in the towage industry. This powerful ASD

design has all the attrib-utes required for use in ports, at exposed ter-minals and offshore.

The first ASD Tug 2913, a new compact tug with a bollard pull of 80 tonnes will be delivered to a German client early 2015. This

new variant will fit neatly in Damen range, between the Damen ASD Tug 2810 and the very powerful offshore terminal ASD Tug 3212.

Research and development into new concepts never stops and several excit-ing new designs are coming to fruition. Damen will be strongly represented at the ITS 2014 in Hamburg, with the intro-duction of the ASD Tug 2810 Hybrid and Rotor®tug ART 80-32 Hybrid and other new projects.

The first ASD Tug 2810 Hybrid ordered by Iskes Towage & Salvage has been completed and four others are under construction, three for the Royal Dutch Navy and one for ‘stock’. Also complet-ed will be the first Rotor®tug ART 80-32 Hybrid, the result of unique co-opera-tive arrangement between Rotortug B.V., Robert Allan Ltd. and Damen. Damen has carried out the detailed engineering and construction of two vessels.

Damen is also working on an entirely new concept, the Reverse Stern Drive (RSD) tug – a true ‘double ended’ tugboat capable of operating as an ASD tug or Tractor tug. With a full height configura-tion forward and aft, and a single winch, it is being described as “the ultimate ship docking vessel”. Essentially an ASD and Tractor tug combined it will be ca-pable of applying full power ahead and astern in ‘push-pull’ mode to handle any type of ship in harbours and terminals. This low budget vessel is designed for operation with a crew of two and variants with 50, 70 and 90 tonnes bollard pull will be available.

Damen always works with ‘one eye on the future. In due course Hybrid and LNG/CNG propulsion systems will be available on vessels in Damen’s large and ever changing portfolio.

TOWAGE HISTORY

RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF TUGS FOR USE AT PORTS AND TERMINALS

1. Svitzer Warden assists a

containership at Thames Port

terminal.

2. Two ASD Tugs 2411 provide

fire-fighting cover at the Medway

Port LNG terminal.

3 The SD Bountiful an ATD tug

operating on charter to the British

Royal Navy.

4 Smit Barbados acting as stern

tug on a container ship in the

confines of Liverpool Docks

5 Svitzer Portgarth one of the

first ASD Tugs 3110 working in the

Port of Bristol.

6 ASD Tug 2411 Svitzer Warden

on duty at the Medway Port of

Sheerness.

7 ASD Tug 2810 assisting a

ship in the locks at the Port of

Liverpool.

1

4

6 7

5

3

2

The towage industry has a history dating back over 180 years to when the first tugs

were being used, mainly to assist sailing ships in and out of harbour. Development in

propulsion and hull design was slow for well over a century but in recent years tug

design and its associated technologies have continued to change at spectacular rate.

Research and development into new concepts never stops

TEXT & PHOTO'S BY JACK GASTON

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SCRA, which was set up by a French operator in 1927 and taken over by the O’hana family in the early 1970s, has been a Damen client for more than two decades. Its en-tire 10-vessel fleet is composed of Damen-built tugs, including one dating from 1990.

The company, which is headed by Steve O’hana and has an annual turnover of €12 million, is based in Casablanca but is also active in the ports of Mohammedia and Jorf Lasfar. In late 2010, the company placed a new order for Damen tugs but in very differ-ent conditions from previous orders since the order for eight Damen Stan Tugs 2608 was placed jointly with its principal competitor, Offshore Maroc.

This development was the result of the Moroccan government’s 2006 port reform which led to the creation of concessions for tug operations at Moroccan ports.SCRA and Offshore Maroc formed joint venture companies to compete for the 20-year concessions, which also laid down conditions for tug operations at the ports.

One of the new joint venture companies, JL Tugs, won the concession for towage ser-vices at Jorf Lasfar and the other, Fedala Tug, the concession at Mohammedia.At Casablanca, however, SCRA and Offshore Maroc have separate operating conces-sions and so remain theoretically in competition, even though, in practice, they oper-ate alternately under the supervision of the port authority.

Execution of the order for the new tugs is proceeding in an orderly manner. Five of the eight tugs have already been delivered and a sixth is due in Morocco from Vietnam shortly. The two remaining vessels are due to be delivered next year.Once the order has been completed, each company will have two new vessels in Casablanca, while their joint venture companies in Mohammedia and Jorf Lasfar will have two vessels each.

Both companies say that they are satisfied with the vessels they have received to date. Delivery schedules have been largely adhered to and the performance of the vessels in service has been up to expectation.

Ari Elmaleh, General Secretary of SCRA, described the Stan Tug 2608 as “effective, powerful, manoeuvrable and up to specification”, adding that the company would have no hesitation about ordering from Damen if it needed more vessels in future.“The company is very serious and their tugs are competitive. In addition, they are much sought after in the event of resale.”

Offshore Maroc General Manager Brahim Yacoubi, expressed similar satisfaction. He revealed that the company had, in fact, ordered Damen vessels when it was founded in 1985 as a joint venture with Smit International prior to being taken over by his family 10 years later. Subsequently, the company had switched to a Turkish supplier, he said, but had had no regrets about coming back to Damen which had proved “more com-petitive” in its response to the international tender issued for the order.The vessels had matched the company’s expectations once brought into service, he said, adding, “Damen is very reactive when there are little problems. We are very hap-py with the after sales service.”

Henk Lok, Contracts Manager, Project Procurement Division at the DMO, says: “Bidders for this contract were judged according to various criteria, which were advertised well in advance, and which were designed to determine which offer was most economically valuable overall. Damen was selected as it came out the clear winner in this selection process.”

Currently the Dutch Navy has tugs with a relatively limited bollard pull of 20 tonnes. In recent years, however the Navy has acquired larger vessels, and Landing Platform Docks (LPDs), which can require up to three of these tugs to manoeuvre safely in port. Mr Lok ex-plains: “With the new 60 tonnes bollard pull tugs it will be possible to handle such craft with only one, or at most two tugs. Buying the Damen tugs will allow us to operate more economically, and efficient-ly, as well as achieve a better match up technically with the bigger ships we now have in our fleet.”

The new tugs will also be more energy efficient, and environmentally friendly, as they will feature a hybrid diesel-direct and diesel-electric propulsion system that will also enable them to operate on battery power during low load situa-tions. Studies conducted by Damen have shown that the design can deliver aver-age fuel savings of 10-30%, and 20-60% lower emissions, depending on opera-tional profile.

According to Mr Lok: “Since we initial-ly started planning this pro-curement in 2008

there had been a significant increase in the availability of environmentally friend-ly green tug designs. We added hybrid power solutions to the overall bid matrix and Damen was able to offer tugs with a high degree of sustainability. Most of the time our tugs will operate with relatively low loads and during these periods they

can utilise more economical, and less en-vironmentally harmful, battery power.”

The battery pack makes it possible to shut down all the engines during station keeping, manoeuvring and free sailing at low speeds. Batteries will also en-hance crew comfort as there are no noise or emissions while they are sleeping onboard.

The ASD Tugs 2810 Hybrid selected by RNLN are off-the-shelf commercial de-signs. Damen has used tried and tested technology, with one additional clutch added to the vessel compared with standard configuration, and a 230 kW water-cooled electric propulsion engine between each main engine and the rud-der propeller. A fire-fighting/generator set has also been installed to feed the electric propulsion engines or to drive the 1200 m3/hr fire-fighting pump. While the RNLN tugs will be little different to commercial tugs, some customisation is necessary. For example, additional safety and security related features have been specified reflecting their specific role sup-porting naval ships.

The three ASD Tugs 2810 Hybrid were purchased by RNLN as part of a joint procurement initiative with its Swedish counterparts, Forsvarets Materielverk (FMV). To meet its requirements FMV has opted for two ice-classed ASD Tugs 3010 Ice, which will be based at Karlskrona and Stockholm and are due for delivery in 2015. They will perform similar harbour towage duties for the Swedish Navy.

FMV and RNLN have a Memorandum of Understanding in place covering procure-ment as well as other matters. “When it was clear both navies required more powerful tugs we worked together to see if a joint procurement exercise was feasi-ble,” says Mr Lok. “Going to market for five tugs, rather than a smaller number, is clearly more attractive to suppliers and the aim was to secure some significant procurement cost benefits by scaling up the size of the contract on offer.”

Orders for the five ASD tugs were signed in January this year. The tugs are due for delivery in 2015-2016.

Damen has traditionally played an important role as a supplier of vessels to the

Moroccan towage sector where it has long-standing links with Société Chérifienne de

Remorquage et d’Assistance (SCRA).

DUTCH NAVY OPTS FOR HYBRID TUG TECHNOLOGY

RENEWAL MOROCCAN HARBOUR TUG FLEET

Damen’s new energy efficient ASD Tug 2810 Hybrid design has been selected by the Defence Material

Organisation (DMO) of the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN), following an open and transparent bidding process

conducted according to European procurement law. RNLN has ordered three of the ASD Tug 2810 Hybrid harbour

and seagoing tugs, which are rated at 60 tonnes bollard pull and will be based at Den Helder in the Netherlands.

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Remolcadores Unidos Argentinos (RUA) may be praised for its perseverance ‘to go foreign’. It is the first Argentine tug operator to have imported a newbuild Damen tug and this has come all the way from Damen Shipyards Changde in China to Buenos Aires. The towage company had to convince the very demanding Prefectura Naval Argentina (PNA) that the Damen ASD Tug 2810 was really fit to meet the strict require-ments of the Argentine flag.

“Importing a ship in Argentina is a rather complex task taking into account the cur-rent situation of the country”, says RUA President and CEO Dr Carlos Alfonso Ruiz Moreno, adding that the required procedures and authorisations to be awarded the Argentine flag demanded several months, “but the exerted efforts and the time involved were compensat-ed by far. The ASD Tug 2810 RUA Cap. Lucio R. is performing at the highest standards and well beyond our already positive expectations”.

Dr Ruiz Moreno observes that the Argentine authorities were well acquaint-ed with this type of tug. Its design is known worldwide, he says. “Nevertheless,

the requirements and tests put on her were really extensive. However, the demands were met and even exceeded with the help and support of Damen and the classification society involved.”

He expects that there is a market for the ASD tugs in Argentina and elsewhere in Latin America, provided the design is adapted to the required standards. It can be done with minor modifications, mutu-ally recognised and agreed between the parties involved.

“The harbour towage market is well served today by the local tugboat fleet. But we had to renew our tugs and pur-chase newbuildings with more engine power and higher bollard pull due to the fact that we now have larger oceangoing vessels calling in our ports.”

In the opinion of the RUA President and CEO, fleet renewal – with or without ASD tugs – should be considered a perma-nent challenge and according the com-mercial and economic possibilities of the individual businesses within the various countries. It is also important to collabo-rate with foreign shipyards in the field of technology and combine this with local

operational experience – companies that know the harbours, prevailing labour reg-ulations, operational costs etc., he says, adding that they are obviously different in each and every country and port.

Talking about future expectations Dr Ruiz Moreno foresees that the demand for food to be shipped will continue to grow in the world. “In this respect, Latin America is well positioned. As far as RUA is concerned, we will continue renewing our tugboat fleet, incorporating more manoeuvrable and powerful tugs, thus meeting the market requirements.

We will work to achieve this goal but have to depend on the changing situ-ation in the country. Argentina is a big country with great promise but it requires vast experience to navigate its waters.”

In conclusion he says: “An old and wise seaman told: ‘We don’t always sail directly bound to where we want to go, but where winds allow us to, while having in mind a clear final destination’.”

Many operators in the towage, dredging and marine construction industries speak of the Damen Stan Tug with

great affection. Like a well-bred horse the Stan Tug range has a pedigree that can be traced back many

generations to the mid-1970s. The first tugs, the Stan Tug 1 and 2 intended for use in harbours and to support

dredging and construction work, quickly became popular and within a few years a new seagoing Stan Tug 4 was

added to the portfolio.

Prior to that very first Stan Tug 1 came the venerable Pushy Cat, the first vessel to be built at Damen in Hardinxveld using serial production methods that have be-come synonymous with the Damen name. Pushy Cats were sold around the world and examples of elderly vessels are found, still in running order in the most remote and unexpected places.

Since those early days many new vessels have been added to the Stan Tug range and existing designs carefully reviewed and upgraded as necessary to meet the demands of clients and the industries they serve.

There are currently 10 vessels in the Stan Tug range, starting with the Stan Tug 1004, with a bollard pull of 4 tonnes and rising in size and complexity to the 100 tonnes bollard pull Stan Tug 4513, a ves-sel fully equipped for work offshore and deepsea. New designs at the small end of the range supersede the now outdated Pushy Cat. Approximately 20-30 Stan Tugs are delivered each year ready to carry out a variety of work in ports, harbours and at sea.

Stan Tug operators are enthusiastic about their vessels. A typical example is the family firm Clyde Marine Services Ltd based at Greenock in Scotland. Describing their activities Managing Director Hamish Munro said; “Our fleet of vessels provide mooring, boarding and towing services around the clock, assisting ship movements within the Clyde area. We operate four Stan Tugs of between 5 and 28 tonnes bollard pull,

including Beaver Bay a Stan Tug 1 built in 1978 and purchased by us in 1980. We find them very reliable and our two 19m tugs are a good illustration of continu-ing development and are excellent tugs. The Stan Tug 1906, Battler has 20 tonnes bollard pull but the later Stan Tug 1907 Bruiser with 28 tonnes was a massive step forward for us”.

Two Stan Tugs involved in a quite dif-ferent operation are the Stan Tug1205 SWS Essex and the Stan Tug 1606 SWS Breda. Employed by S. Walsh and Sons Ltd of Essex, in the UK, both tugs are employed in the transportation of bulk cargoes for the construction industry in and out of London. Working on the tidal river Thames the SWS Breda, with its bollard pull of 16 tonnes, operates a 24 per day service moving 10,000 tonnes of excavated spoil.

A similar pair of Stan Tugs the Asterix (Stan Tug 1205) and Ibex (Stan Tug 1606) recently entered service at the Fawley oil terminal on Southampton Water with the fleet of Solent Towage Ltd, a sub-sidiary of Norwegian company Ostensjo Rederi. The tugs replaced an 18 year old Damen Stan Tug 1405 and a single-screw Norwegian built vessel. The crews point-ed out that although the Asterix is small-er than the tug it replaces, it is more agile and has considerably more bollard pull. Both vessels are used for mooring duties with very large tankers and are now able to assist smaller ships of up to 30,000dwt.

ARGENTINA PROTECTSQUALITY FLEETSTANDARD

FEW VESSELS HAVE THE PEDIGREE OF A STAN TUG“We will continue

renewing our tugboat fleet, incorporating more

manoeuvrable and powerful tugs, thus meeting the market

requirements.”

Asterix and Ibex are powerful workboats employed at the Fawley oil terminal in Southampton Water to carry out mooring operations and give assistance to the smaller tankers using the facility.

SWS Breda works around the clock pushing barges of excavated spoil away from Central London, sometimes moving 10,000 tonnes per day.

Bruiser is the most powerful vessel in the Scottish fleet of Clyde Marine Services Ltd which operates four Stan Tugs of various sizes.

TEXT & PHOTO'S BY JACK GASTON

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Last year, Damen made it to Norway. An office opened up in Stavanger and a Stan Tug 1205 was sold to EB Marine, a family-owned diving company in Stavanger. A year later, Manager Torbjørn Erga reflects on the tug, now named Broltus.

Stavanger is a city known best for its offshore oil industry. The harbour is unavoidable for the occasional visitor; it’s where the best restaurants are, the cafés and bars and of course, the ships. However, EB Marine is situated outside of Stavanger. The view from the company is idyllic, with high mountains set against a clouded sky. The wind pushes the waves against the shore, typical Norwegian weather.

Mr Erga reflects on buying the Stan Tug 1205 from Damen last year. The tug is in Molde today helping with the construc-tion of a bridge to bypass the fjord between Trondheim and Stavanger. “The bridge saves about 20 minutes on the road,” Erga explains. “That’s what we got Broltus for.”

A strong guyIn Norwegian, Broltus means something like “a strong guy”, which suits the tug perfectly.

“We needed a tugboat with a lot of force,” Mr Erga says. “We stand in the middle of the fjord. It hasn’t been running that many hours for us, about 500 since we

got it but it has been very use-ful for us. It’s a small tugboat with good force. It might not be adapted to the Norwegian climate, but we had very little time. This is less of a problem than we would’ve had if we had bought a tugboat somewhere else.”

The company was also happy to do business with Damen. “It was easier because there is a local office here in Stavanger. The first contact we had was with Remko Hottentot (Damen’s Sales Manager in Norway, ed.)”, he explains.

The boat is a bit bumpy when it’s windy in Molde, but other than that, EB Marine is very happy with the tug, according to Mr Erga. After the job in the North is done, Mr Erga will be taking the tug to pull pipes with ballast on to the place where they need to go. “If we take the Broltus, it’ll take us about 20 hours. If we take the other tug we have, it’ll take us twice as much time. I’ve never seen a small tugboat with this kind of power,” he explains.

EB MARINE’S STAN TUG 1205

“TRULY COMPACT WITH A LOT OF

FORCE”

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SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL FOR AUSTRALIAN NAVY

The ASD Tug 2009 is the smallest of the ASD range offered by Damen. But its compact design, excellent manoeuvra-bility and 30 tonnes bollard pull make it ideal for those looking for a vessel-handling tool that can operate effectively in harbours with limited space available.

A Damen ASD Tug 2009 was recently delivered to DMS Maritime in Australia, a division of the Serco group and the coun-try’s largest maritime services provider. The company has a fleet marine services con-tract with the Royal Australian Navy, with facilities in every major Australian naval

port and operates a fleet of around 75 ves-sels on the Navy’s behalf.

Despite its size the vessel, named Sprightly, is capable of assisting both surface vessels and submarines. For the most part DMS opted for a standard ASD Tug 2009 specification although the fen-dering is grey rather than the traditional black.

Designed for towing, mooring and push-pull operations, Sprightly is equipped with two Caterpillar C32 TTA Acert/C main engines, with a rating of 1940 bKw

at 1800 rpm. The vessel has a Rolls Royce US155 azimuthing thruster and is capable of a speed ahead of 11.8 knots. There is accommodation for five persons and an extensive array of naval-class navigation and communications equipment.

DMS Maritime has ordered five tugs from Damen since 2011. As well as the ASD Tug 2009, the company has an ASD Tug 2310 and two ASD Tugs 2411 in service, alongside a Stan Tug 1606.

DMS states: “Serco has been operating the ASD Tug 2009 in the UK since 2010, having taken delivery of the first four of these tugs. These were built to a design tailored to meet the exacting needs of the Royal Navy.

When we decided to order tugs for the Australian Navy we knew this design would perform well in demanding circum-stances handling a range of naval craft so we had no hesitation in specifying this ASD tug type as part of the multi-vessel contract with Damen.”

Smit Lamnalco and Damen have devel-oped a close working relationship, with six Damen-built vessels being delivered to the oil and gas terminal towage and associated marine services provider over the past 18 months alone.

One of the most recent deliveries is SL Kiwi, Smit Lamnalco’s second Damen Stan Tug 2208 type, 39.4 tonnes bol-lard pull rated tug. SL Kiwi is identical to the 2012-delivered SL Kittiwake which is working on the same Single Point Mooring project, primarily assisting with buoy maintenance operations.

Built at the Damen yard in Gorinchem, SL Kiwi and its sister are essentially con-structed to standard designs, but have a number client-specific features, such as an open stern with a removable bulwark top plate. The client also selected a num-ber of optional ‘extras’ such as a deck crane and fuel oil separator unit.

Herm Jan de Vries, Smit Lamnalco’s New Build Manager, says: “The SL Kittiwake has been delivering good performance so we decided to opt for the same design. By having a sister ship working in tandem we expect to see benefits in the supply chain in terms of spares and con-sumables, as well as in carrying out main-tenance work.” Smit Lamnalco further points out that Damen was able to pro-vide the vessel extremely quickly, thanks to its ‘in stock’ policy for standard vessels.

Smit Lamnalco has also recently taken delivery of the SL Mbissi, its first Damen Shoalbuster type vessel. The shallow wa-ter workboat, which was built by Damen at its Hardinxveld shipyard, is 24.82m long overall, with a draught of 1.8m, and has a potent bollard pull rating of 19.7 tonnes.

SL Mbissi, a Damen Shoalbuster 2508 SD type tug, will join a workboat fleet already operating in Gabon for Smit Lamnalco and has been specially designed for operations in Gabonese waters with a particular draft limitation, in order to pass a bar in the river mouth. Mr De Vries says: “Damen has achieved a very good combination of the standard Shoalbuster and our specific require-ments for this operation. The Hardinxveld building yard and our own supervision team have together delivered a high quali-ty vessel with excellent operational perfor-mance, which has resulted in a very quick start-up and vessel acceptance process.”

Customised features included around 1m of extra length compared with a standard design and lighter main engines. This en-abled a reduction of around 20cm com-pared to the standard draft of a Damen Shoalbuster 2308 SD design.

DELIVERY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SMIT LAMNALCO

“The Hardinxveld building yard and our own supervision team

have together delivered a high quality vessel with

excellent operational performance.”

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APM Terminals is just weeks away from getting the Environmental Licence for Moín Container Terminal in Costa Rica, which represents a huge total invest-ment of over a billion dollars and when fully developed will be able to han-dle 3.2 million teu – three times the amount handled by the present facility.

With 72 terminals APM Terminals has the most comprehensive terminal network in the world. The company was awarded the 33-year concession from the Costa Rican government in March 2011 follow-ing a public tender.

Paul Gallie, Managing Director of APM Terminals Moín comments: “The new ter-minal has a great deal of potential with its close proximity to the Panama Canal.”

APM Terminals spent more than a year studying the environment and meteoro-logical conditions, carrying out soil inves-tigation, which included drilling 100 bore holes. Eventually, APM’s Environmental Impact Assessment comprised 3,000 pages.

“We are taking a lot of mitigating meas-ures to care for the flora and fauna and in the terminal itself all the equipment is electric. Eco-friendly cranes will be installed and the Rubber Tyred Gantry cranes are all electric. Overall, we will de-ploy many power saving devices and an intelligent power management system for the 3,000 reefers.”

Construction work is expected to start this June and the first phase, which rep-resents an investment of $663 million, will take three years to complete. APM Terminals awarded the contract for the design and construction to Van Oord and BAM International and they have already started procuring the rock to build the 1.5 km breakwater.

Mr Gallie, who was at sea for 23 years, sailing up to the rank of Captain, admits that Costa Rica is significantly behind in terms of port infrastructure.

“80% of traffic goes through the existing port. This means that there is insufficient

berthing space for the amount of traffic. In 2013, the average waiting time was 30 hours! You can also imagine the envi-ronmental impact of all these ships and trucks spending hours waiting.”

Another major problem APM Terminals is addressing is the depth of water, which is only around 11 m, restricting the size of vessels to 2,500 teu.

“When considering that Moín is only 12 hours from the Panama Canal, it has never been able to take full advantage of this. And now with the extension of the Canal it is vital to upgrade the facility so the largest ships can access Costa Rica.”

APM Terminals will dredge the access channel to 16 m, which will allow 8,500 teu ships to call and it is creating a Post-Panamax berth of 650 m initially, to be ex-tended to 1,500 m.

The current terminal does not have ade-quate breakwater protection, he explains, which means it is closed for up to 10 days a year due to poor weather conditions. To address this issue an artificial island is being created and the new terminal will be protected by a large, rock breakwater.

Additionally, the existing cargo han-dling equipment is very old. Under the first phase, APM Terminals will equip the

terminal with six new super Post-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes, able to handle 23 rows wide and 10 tier deck stows, plus 23 electric RTGs and five rail mounted gantries.

APM Terminals is confident that the new facility, combined with its expertise, will be able to bring more business to Costa Rica. “We have terminals all around the world and a good relationship with all our shipping lines. This project will also lead to more competition - larger ships with greater economies of scale. And some lines will come that didn’t want to wait in the long queues before.”Increasing containerisation in the perisha-bles sector, in which Costa Rica is a major player, is also important for the terminal’s future.

Moín Container Terminal will also boost employment significantly. Around 400 people will work there and the compa-ny expects to see the development of a Free Trade Zone, distribution centres and manufacturing companies, he says, add-ing that indirectly at least 5,000 jobs will be created.

Mr Gallie is confident about the facility’s prospects, adding, “With the flexibility it brings, the increase in capacity and the expansion of the Panama Canal, we are certain Moín Container Terminal has a healthy future.”

CONSTRUCTION OF MOÍN CONTAINER

TERMINAL GETS UNDERWAYNEW COSTA RICA FACILITY WILL BE ABLE TO HANDLE 3.2M TEU

“The new terminal has a great deal of potential with its close proximity

to the Panama Canal.”

STAN TUG 1004 SIMEK

GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES

“IT’S THE POWER”

Hidden in between Norwegian hills, lays the small town of Flekkefjord, where the shipyard Simek is based. Last year, Damen sold Simek a Stan Tug 1004. An exceptional situation, selling a tug to a shipyard.

Today, Bjørn Solvik, captain of the tug and Hans Jørgen Fedog, Production Manager at Simek, still don’t regret their decision. The tug, also named Simek, is moored at the shipyard’s jetty and is deployed frequently accord-ing to Mr Fedog. “It’s the power. It’s much stronger than the boat we had before. It really makes the difference.”

To use the tug optimally in ice conditions, the yard has made one adjustment to the vessel installing an ice knife on the bow fendering to break through the ice. In Norway, the water often freezes in winter and

Simek uses the boat in every weather condition. “If we need the tug, we’ll use it. We use it in the inside area in Flekkefjord. We use it in snow, to break through the ice, wind, rain, everything really. The tug never stopped us, in any condition. It has always been working well.”

The Simek is mostly deployed to assist ships, to tow around large hulls. “Before we had just a small boat, useful for fishing in our spare time but it didn’t have enough power for the work,” Mr Fedog explains. “We decided to order a bigger tug and we contacted Damen.

“Of course, Damen as a specialist in small tugs came to mind first. We knew that they were the specialist and we know Damen’s Sales Manager in Norway, Remko Hottentot,” Mr Fedog says. “We came to Holland to try

the tug and when we came home, we decided to buy it. We have a very good relationship with Damen. We don’t have the design to build these tugs ourselves.”

Captain Solvik is also very content with the vessel. He usually sails it with one extra crew member. He doesn’t mind taking it out for a spin, says it’s an easy tug to sail and that it has lots of power. The tug is also very flexi-ble; it makes sharp turns and it speeds up pretty quickly.

Mr Fedog concludes: “This tug really makes the differ-ence when we are working with the ships. It makes the operations much safer. I used to be really stressed when a vessel came close to the quay. I am more calm now, more relaxed, because we have more towing power.”

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TWIN ASD TUGS 2411 MEET CENTREPORT REQUIREMENTS

Tapuhi was built at Damen Shipyards Changde and is now operating success-fully alongside her sister, Tiaki, which was delivered by Damen in 2008.

Steve Harris, CentrePort, General Manager Port Operations, says: “Our relationship with Damen started during our investigation into replacement tugs, a need which was identified during a tow-age risk assessment. We were looking for tugs with an appropriate bollard pull to match towage demand, and to partner with a builder able to provide design and build quality and reliability and offer a high degree of after sales service.”

The company was also seeking proven tugs of modern design, with low overall lifetime ownership costs, reliability, fuel economy and environmental features. CentrePort furthermore put a high prior-ity on having access to on-going support consistent with a long term asset pur-chase of around 30 years.

“Damen was proven in all of these areas and has been able to fulfil all our require-ments,” says Mr Harris. “Both Tiaki and Tapuhi were delivered ahead of schedule and on budget and there have been very few warranty matters to be addressed since delivery.”

Damen provided turnkey project de-sign and management solutions, so that CentrePort staff had to make few visits to the yards during each 15 month build project.

“We greatly benefited, however, from the interest we took in the building of both Tiaki and Tapuhi as we developed close relationships which ensured we had con-fidence in the vessels, while minor chang-es to meet our specific needs could be handled without question,” notes Charles Smith, CentrePort’s Marine Manager.

Overall, CentrePort says its experience in dealing with Damen has been ‘very pos-itive’ and its level of satisfaction with the ASD Tugs 2411 is ‘very high’. “During our information gathering, selection, pur-chasing, build and ownership stages, we have built up enduring relationships with Damen,” concludes Mr Smith. Their sales effort was informative and appropriate in helping us make a decision which met our long term towage requirements.”

Located in Wellington, CentrePort is one of New Zealand’s key intermodal transport hubs, linking road and rail

to shipping services connecting to domestic and international ports. Last year the company took delivery of

Tapuhi, a brand new 68 tonnes bollard pull Damen ASD Tug 2411, the second of this type to be acquired by the

port operator in the past five years.

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