Damen and Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) have signed a contract for 14 Damen ASD Tugs.
An extensive process of yard prequalification and tender evaluation finally resulted in an award to Damen this summer. The series consist of two types, with 9 tugs of Damen’s recently launched 3212 model and 5 units of the well-known 2810 design, providing 80 respectively 50 tons of bollard pull. While being based on existing Damen designs, these tugs have been extensively tailored to meet KOC’s exacting requirements on layout, systems and performances.
As part of KOC’s long term strategy of increasing the country’s export capacity, substantial investments are being made to expand the marine facilities in coming years. The new tugs will be assisting tankers at nearshore loading terminals and at the new single point moorings further offshore, for which they will also be equipped with a powerful fire fighting system.
The cooperation between KOC and Damen goes back to late 1980’s, when Damen delivered steel crew / pilot tenders and the large fire fighting / terminal tug “Sabahi” to KOC. In the early nineties, after liberation from the Iraqi invasion, Damen delivered to KOC a complete new fleet of tugs, crew tenders, work boats and mooring boats. Damen has supported KOC throughout all these years with provision of technical services, spare parts, and maintenance / renovation assistance.
Damen’s naval architects and designers in The Netherlands have already started working on the development of this unique series of state-of-the-art tugs. Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania will be constructing all 14 units, with deliveries scheduled from 2014 onwards.