Tuzla News

The first electric tugs for SAAM Towage's fleet are ready to sail from the Port of Tuzla to Vancouver, Canada, where they will join the fleet operating in that country.SAAM Towage's Engineering and Development Manager, Pablo Cáceres, said, "We are one step closer to having our electric tugs operating, which for us represents the way to advance towards more sustainable operations and move our business into the future."The Sanmar-built vessels have successfully completed their final seaworthiness trials and will soon be loaded onto the cargo ship BBC Emerald…

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Monday that it had found traces of explosives on a ship travelling from Turkey to the port of Rostov-on-Don in Russia to pick up grain.The FSB said the ship had been docked in the Ukrainian port of Kiliia in May, and that it may have been used to deliver explosives to Ukraine.It said the ship had changed its name while in the Turkish port of Tuzla earlier this month and replaced its crew, which had consisted of 12 Ukrainian nationals."These…

AEGIR-Marine - which provides a wide range of parts and services for stern tube seals, (bow) thrusters, CPP's and azimuth thrusters - expanded its global reach stationing seven service engineers at its new office in Turkey.The new office is located in Pendik Istanbal, opposite the shipyards in Tuzla area. AEGIR-Marine has invested heavily in the office to ensure that it is equipped with the latest technology and staffed by highly trained professionals."We are excited to open our newest setup in Turkey and expand our global reach," said Jaap deLange, CEO of AEGIR-Marine.

A Turkish-owned general cargo ship was struck by a missile in the port of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, sparking a fire, according to video footage from the scene and shipping sources.The missile hit the bridge of the vessel named Tuzla on Tuesday, maritime security company Ambrey said, causing the fire. Video footage showed flames filling the command room of the ship.Reuters was able to confirm the location from the ships and buildings seen in the video, which matched file and satellite imagery of the area. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the date the videos were filmed.The ship, which has been stuck at the port since February 2022…

Sanmar Shipyards delivered four tugs during the final week of 2022 rounding off a year that saw the Turkish tugboat-builder deliver a total of 30 tugs to operators across Europe, the Middle East, Australia, South and Central America and Asia, along with others to its domestic market in Türkiye.The last tug to be delivered in 2022 was YENICAY XVI to Türkiye based Marintug, where it was been renamed ADAKALE by its new owners. The RAscal 1800 Class of compact tugs have been developed exclusively for Sanmar by Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd…

U.S.-based  Advanced Polymer Coatings (APC) has signed a major multi-ship deal to recoat ten tankers with Turkish ship management firm Chemfleet.The deal was signed at Chemfleet’s Istanbul office by APC’s global marine manager, captain Onur Yildirim, and its Turkey marine manager captain Koray Karagoz. According to Captain Yildirim, APC now holds 80% of the Turkish marine coatings market having coated and repaired more than 450 vessels since establishing in the country in 2001.He said the new contract followed a third special survey of the chemical tanker fleet…

SAAM Towage Chile will soon receive a new tug, the Mataquito II, which already passed its seaworthiness testing in Turkey, the last step before being commissioned.The Deputy Maintenance Manager for SAAM Towage Chile and members of its new crew were present for the testing. The vessel sailed from Tuzla, Turkey this Saturday and is expected to reach Valparaíso around 45 days later.SAAM Towage Technical Manager Pablo Cáceres commented, “This is the fifth tug built for SAAM Towage by SANMAR Shipyards. Its equipment was specially selected to meet our customers’ expectations.

Sanmar has acquired a third shipyard in Turkey.Founded in 1976, Sanmar builds tugboats at its two shipyards, Sanmar Tuzla and Sanmar Altinova, in the cities of Istanbul and Yalova respectively.The shipyard that Sanmar has purchased was specialized in the repair and construction of small work boats and fishing boats. Located next to Sanmar Tuzla Shipyard. It will be totally re-built to meet to Sanmar’s shipyard standards, ensuring maximum respect to the environment.The new yard will incorporate new offices…

German propulsion firm Schottel has secured an order to deliver a total of ten rudder propellers and two transverse thrusters for five tugs that will serve the LNG carriers stopping at an LNG export facility in Canada.Schottel's equipment will be installed on two LNG-fuelled escort tugs, as well as in three battery-powered harbor tugs. Ordered by Canadian HaiSea Marine, a partnership between the Haisla Nation and Seaspan ULC, the vessels will provide ship assist and towing services to LNG carriers stopping at a new LNG export facility in Kitimat, British Columbia.

Stena Line is strengthening its position and expanding services in the Baltic Sea Region, by deploying two new ferries on the route between Ventspils in Latvia and Nynäshamn in Sweden this year. The first of the two vessels, Stena Scandica -- at 222-m long it is 30% larger than the existing vessels on the route -- has entered Ventspils port on June 29, 2021, to get ready for its maiden voyage on the route. The vessel adds another 70% cabin capacity compared to the existing vessels…

Swedish ferry firm Stena Line has taken delivery of its RoPax ferry, Stena Scandica, the first of two Visentini vessels being lengthened and modernized by Stena RoRo at the Sedef Shipbuilding in Tuzla, Turkey. The Stena Scandica ferry will start operating on the Stena Lines route between Nynäshamn in Sweden and Ventspils in Latvia at the beginning of July.The conversion and lengthening of Stena Scandica (ex Stena Lagan) and sister vessel Stena Baltica (ex Stena Mersey) is managed by Stena RoRo at the Sedef Shipyard in Tuzla, Turkey.The two vessels are lengthened with a 36-meter mid-section.

Turkish shipbuilder Sanmar Shipyards announced it has inked a deal with HaiSea Marine for the build and delivery of three liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled escort tugs and two battery-electric harbor tugs which will provide ship-assist and escort towing services to LNG carriers calling at LNG Canada’s new export facility in Kitimat, B.C., on Canada's west coast.Following an initial tender process which began in 2018, HaiSea Marine has awarded the contract for all five tugs to Sanmar plus an option for a sixth.

Sweden-headquartered ferry operator Stena Line on Thursday revealed plans to replace two vessels currently operating on its Nynäshamn-Ventspils route with the modernized and lengthened RoPax ferries Stena Lagan and Stena Mersey.Stena Line said the vessels switch will increase freight capacity by almost a third, and improve the onboard experience for travelers on the Baltic Sea route.Stena Line, which operates 18 ferry routes in Europe, including three across the Baltic Sea, acquired the ferry route between Nynäshamn in Sweden and Ventspils in Latvia in 2012.

RMK Marine Shipyard is located in the Tuzla/Istanbul, Turkey, since 1997 as part of the Koc Group of Companies (https://www.koc.com.tr/en-us) which is Turkey’s biggest conglomerate. It specializes in shipbuilding as well as super/mega yacht refit, conversion and new building projects. On the shipbuilding side, specialty, high-temperature product tankers, such as asphalt and bitumen, as well as chemical and oil products tankers have been a staple of RMK Marine. Since 1997, RMK…

The first Advanced Variable Drive (AVDTM) tugboat with its unique application of hydro-mechanical hybrid propulsion in the marine segment, Bogacay XXXVIII provides towage services across a broad range of customers in Izmit Bay. Since her introduction into the Sanmar operated fleet on February 25, 2020, following its commissioning ceremony in at Sanmar’s Tuzla Shipyard, she has performed alongside her diesel mechanical sisters in the Izmit Bay fleet.A primary advantage of the CAT…

Dubai-listed Gulf Navigation Holding has announced a partnership with Polimar Turkish Holding to grow its fleet and increase its global reach. Under the agreement, Gulf Navigation said it would be able to serve customers in major trading ports worldwide. The Gulf Navigation fleet is expected to grow from four service boats to 10 crews, tugs and offshore support vessels with a value of US$3 million per vessel as part of the deal. The revenue from the partnership is expected to be about $27m a year, according to Gulf Navigation. The expected revenue from the partnership will be around $27m and the joint venture will be headquartered in Dubai from this month, according to the company’s release.

Canadian naval architectural firm Robert Allan Ltd (RAL) announced that  the TOR Group  shipyard in Tuzla Bay (Istanbul) has delivered the Ben Owusu-Mensah, the third of three RAstar 3300 tugs for Ghana Ports & Harbours Authority (GPHA).The new tugs are equipped to fulfill a multitude of missions for the GPHA, including but not limited to ship-assist, fire-fighting, and pollution response, said a press release from the ship designer."Driven by high speed engines and Z-drive propellers, the Ben Owusu-Mensah and its sisters comfortably meet all contractual performance requirements, including the achievement of 82 tonnes of bollard pull and speeds in excess of 14 knots on trial…

The latest four rope grab crane development of Liebherr´s floating crane segment is going to be installed on a converted handymax bulk carrier (45,000 DWT) with a total length of 185 m and a breadth of 30.5 m. The ship will be retrofitted with the two Liebherr bulk handling cranes at the Turkish shipyard Kuzey Star Shipyard Tuzla / Istanbul. After completion of the conversion in early 2019, the ship will be used as a transshipment solution for grain handling in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.The ordered cranes are designed for high-speed bulk handling and will be installed on 10 m eccentric platforms in order to increase the maximum outreach up to 36 m. The maximum lifting capacity of the high-performance CBG 360´s is 36 tons.

Adnan Nefesoğlu, RMK MARINE’s CEO, thought a short moment and  replied by reflecting his self-confidence “Yes, we can do”, when the local client came and asked RMK MARINE in early 2016 that: “We have two main engines, procured eight years ago and standing in a depot since then. They have Tier I feature. Can you convert them first to Tier II compliant engines, to be followed with Tier III compliant features, make them fully operable and then can you build two ships around 15.000-16.000 dwt…

Sanmar A.Ş.delivered the Robert Allan Ltd. designed RAstar3200Wescort tugs Civitavecchia and Saraceno Primo to Italian tugboat operator Italtugs S.p.A. The tugs were constructed at Sanmar’s Tuzla facility, the greenest shipyard in Turkey. The RAstarOffshore/Escort Tugs designation is reserved for a unique class of ASD tugs, designed with a sponsoned hull form, a concept originated by Robert Allan Ltd. 20 years ago, and which has been proven in both model and full-scale testing to provide significantly enhanced escort towing and seakeeping performance. Motions and accelerations are less than half those of comparable sized “standard” tug hulls. It is interesting to note that others are now attempting to emulate this concept.

Turkey is strategically located, straddling both Europe and Asia with substantial number of Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea ports, thus making maritime trade and shipping of great importance to the country’s economy. Its extensive coastline running for 8,483 km, (1,067 km of which is island shores) has greatly contributed to the growth of Turkey’s maritime sector. Turkish shipyards have a tradition spanning eight centuries. At the time of the Ottoman Empire, shipyards were able to build large, powerful naval vessels, and yards continued their modernization following the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. Today, the industry boasts modern quality certified shipyards that build ships, yachts, megayachts, and sailing boats, as well as undertake extensive repairs and conversion works.

A dry cargo vessel broke in two in the Black Sea off Turkey's northwest coast, television images showed early on Sunday, while the 11-man crew was rescued. Mongolian flag carrying Leonardo, a 114-meter-long dry cargo ship, started buckling and broke in two while on anchor off Istanbul's Kilyos coast. Half of the ship was taken ashore by tugboats, while the remainder is in the water gradually sinking. Turkish media reports said the ship, constructed in 1975, was going to Istanbul's Tuzla dockyard for repairs. (Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Mark Potter)

Members of Svitzer's management team visited both of Sanmar’s shipyards to monitor the progress of existing orders and discuss further existing contracts between the towage and emergency response firm and the Turkish shipbuilder. Svitzer ‘s chief technical officer, Kristian Brauner, and head of group newbuilding, Esben H Grundvig, were advised by Sanmar Managing Director Cem Seven that it was business as usual at both yards. The Svitzer team signed a new order for two 24-meter-long, 70-metric-ton bollard pull, Robert Allan Ltd,  Ramparts 2400 SX  design  Bogacay Class ASD tugs.