Svitzer orders two ice class ASD tugs
Written by Nick Blenkey
Hakan Sen, CEO, Med Marine (L) with Mattias Hellström, Cluster Managing Director, Scandinavia & Germany, Svitzer (R)
Maersk Group towing specialist Svitzer has signed a contract with Turkish shipbuilder Med Marine for two new 30 m ice class tugs. To be built to Robert Allan Ltd TundRA 3000 design, they are set for deliveries in fourth quarter 2020 and first quarter 2021.
The tugs have been custom designed to meet Svitzer’s requirements across its Scandinavian operations will be built to Finnish-Swedish ice class 1A, giving them icebreaking capabilities. The vessels will use azimuth stern drive (ASD) to generate an all directional propulsion force, with a minimum bollard pull of 60 tons. This is significantly above that of the two tugs they will replace, Svitzer Helios and Svitzer Dynan, two of Svitzer’s oldest vessels with a combined 90 years of service. Both Helios and Dynan currently have a bollard pull below 40 tons,.
The two new tugs vessels will be installed with an innovative ultrasonic anti-fouling system on box coolers and hull, eliminating the need for antifouling paints, helping to reduce the vessels’ impact on the local environment.
Additionally, the main engine rooms have been future-proofed for impending MARPOL Tier III NOx regulations and are ready for SCR system installation.
“We are delighted to have closed this deal with Med Marine to build our two new custom designed TundRA 3000 icebreaking tugs,” said Mattias Hellström, Svitzer’s Cluster Managing Director, Scandinavia & Germany. “In addition to upgrading our Scandinavian harbour towage fleet, this move also secures our long-term icebreaking capabilities in the region.”
R. Hakan Sen, CEO, Med Marine, said: “We are pleased to have signed this agreement with Svitzer to build two new icebreaking tugs for their Scandinavian fleet. As an organisation, Med Marine is committed to the highest standards, so it is a natural fit for us to work with Svitzer to build these new vessels at our group-owned Eregli Shipyard.”
Once delivered, the vessels will operate across Scandinavia, predominantly serving ports in Denmark and Sweden. The vessels have also been built to be able to navigate the locks in the Swedish city of Trollhättan, enabling icebreaking on the river as well as in lake Vänern.
