Kotug News

EST-Floattech to Supply Battery System for Electric Pusherboat

EST-Floattech has been selected by KOTUG International to provide its containerized energy storage solution with Octopus Series energy modules for the E-Pusher 1 (Type M), the world’s first fully electric pusherboat operated by Cargill.The vessel was built by Padmos, and EST-Floattech worked with the yard, Sea and Shore, and Gebhard Electro to realize the system. The container is ESTRIN-Certified and has a capacity of 2MWh. It was designed and constructed in a little over half…

New Tug Delivered to Mongla Port Authority

The Mongla Port Authority in Bangladesh has taken delivery of its new tug, M.T. Joymoni.The newbuild is a RAmparts 3200-CL designed by Canada's Robert Allan Ltd. and built by Cheoy Lee Shipyards, in China.The RAmparts 3200-CL was designed by Robert Allan Ltd. in 2008 exclusively for Cheoy Lee Shipyards, with the first tug, Ocean Pioneer, delivered to Ocean Sparkle in India in 2011. Based on the RAmparts series, the hull form was developed to provide a high performance, multi-function tug in a shallow draft configuration, with bollard pull of up to 85 tonnes, the designer said.M.T.

KOTUG Takes Full Ownership of Its Bahamas Towage JV with SEACOR

KOTUG International, a marine services and towage provider based in the Netherlands, announced on Thursday it has concluded its acquisition of Kotug Seabulk Maritime (KSM), taking full ownership of the Caribbean marine towage business.KOTUG said it has acquired the interest of its joint venture partner, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based SEACOR Holdings via its Seabulk subsidiary KS Maritime Holdings, owner of the 50% share in KSM.Founded in 2017, KSM acts as the exclusive provider of maritime terminal support services for Buckeye Partners’ Bahamas Hub…

EST-Floattech Receives €4 Million Investment

Developer of maritime battery systems EST-Floattech has received an investment of 4 million euros from Energy Transition Fund Rotterdam and existing shareholders Rotterdam Port Fund, PDENH, Ponooc, and Yard Energy.Energy Transition Fund Rotterdam is investing 3 million euros, the fund's first investment in maritime battery systems. The existing shareholders are jointly investing 1 million euros.The announcement was made by Chantal Zeegers, the Alderman for Climate, Building, and Housing in Rotterdam.

KOTUG Bolsters Guyana Fleet with Three Offshore Terminal Tugs

KOTUG said Tuesday it had, via its Guyanese subsidiary KOTUG Guyana strengthened its position in Guyana with the arrival of three additional Offshore Terminal Tugs to support ExxonMobil Guyana’s offshore operations.With the arrival of KOTUG-owned ‘SD Grace’, ‘Seaways 20’ and ‘Seaways 22’, KOTUG will operate a total of five offshore terminal tugs in Guyana.The vessels predominantly provide support (“tanker lifting operations”) to the large crude oil tankers that are loading crude oil from ExxonMobil's producing FPSOs in the Stabroek field…

SEACOR to Sell U.S. Harbor Towing Operations

SEACOR Holdings said Monday it had agreed to sell its U.S. harbor towing operations and assets from its Seabulk subsidiary to two parties, E.N. Bisso & Son, Inc. and Bay-Houston Towing Co.The E.N. Bisso transaction includes 12 harbor towing vessels across ports in Florida and Alabama. Bay-Houston is acquiring eight vessels operating in Texas along the Sabine Neches Navigation District and in the Port of Lake Charles, La."E.N. Bisso and Bay-Houston are two industry-leading harbor towing providers supported by many decades of safe and reliable operations…

KOTUG to Operate Dual-fuel Methanol Tugs on Canada’s West Coast

In 2021, Trans Mountain, on behalf of shippers for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMEP), awarded KOTUG Canada Inc. a long-term contract to provide escort towage services for tankers that load crude oil at Trans Mountain’s Westridge Marine Terminal.Trans Mountain operates Canada’s only oil pipeline servicing the West Coast of Canada providing tidewater access to foreign markets for Canada’s petroleum resources.Under the agreement, KOTUG Canada, which is a partnership between KOTUG International B.V.

First Zero-emission Electric Pusher Tug & Barge Enters Service for Cargill

Cargill will charter the world’s first fully electric pusher boat and barges to transport cocoa beans in the Netherlands.The company will use Kotug International’s zero emission E-Pusher and E-Barges to transport cocoa beans from the Port of Amsterdam, the largest cocoa import port in the world, to its cocoa factory in Zaandam. The fully electrified pusher and barges eliminate both emissions and noise pollution for inland shipping.The E-Pusher 1 was christened this week, marking the official start of the operations with the vessel for Cargill…

KOTUG Canada, GIT Team to Cut Underwater Radiated Noise

KOTUG Canada has applied "revolutionary non-toxic noise reduction coatings" to the hull of one of its vessels, the K.J. Gardner.KOTUG Canada used Graphite Innovation and Technologies' (GIT) XGIT-URN coating to help reduce underwater radiated noise emitted from the ship’s hull and the vibrations that disturb marine life.K.J. Gardner is the first of three vessels using the GIT applications in support of KOTUG Canada’s mission to reduce the impact on the environment, specifically related to the reduction of noise that potentially disturbs aquatic life in the Salish Sea and adjacent waters.

KOTUG Buys Seaways

Dutch marine services and towage firm KOTUG has closed the acquisition of Seaways, first announced in April. The fee was not disclosed."The acquisition of Seaways brings together the assets, expertise and people of two leading companies that support the worldwide floating facility business such as FSO, FPSO, FLNG, FSRU and SPM Terminals. With all customary, governmental, and other required approvals, KOTUG will now focus on the integration of Seaways and strengthening its leading presence in the floating offshore market…

KOTUG To Support Liza FPSOs Off Guyana

KOTUG's subsidiary KOTUG Guyana has been awarded a second contract by ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana to support operations in Guyana. KOTUG’s latest addition, the 120 tonnes bollard pull strong SD Honour, will join the fleet of dedicated offshore terminal tugs supporting the two floating production, storage and offloading vessels (FPSOs), Liza Destiny and Liza Unity, on the Stabroek Block, offshore Guyana with static tow, push-pull duties and general…

Rimorchiatori Mediterranei Buys Keppel Smit Towage and Maju Maritime

Dutch marine services firm Boskalis and its co-shareholder KS Investments Pte. Ltd. (Keppel) have completed the sale of their equity stakes in their harbor towage activities in Singapore and Malaysia - Keppel Smit Towage Pte Ltd and Maju Maritime Pte Ltd - to Rimorchiatori Mediterranei.Boskalis received EUR 92 million in cash for its 49% equity stake in the joint ventures resulting in a pre tax book gain of approximately EUR 50 million. Keppel Smit Towage (KST) was established in 1991 as a joint venture between Keppel and SMIT, a subsidiary of Boskalis. Over the past thirty years, Boskalis said, KST/Maju has developed into one of the largest and leading providers of harbor towage services in Southeast Asia.

KOTUG and SCI Kick Off Mariner Training Partnership

The Training & Consultancy division of KOTUG International (KOTUG) and U.S. maritime education and maritime training provider the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) entered into a strategic partnership to offer exclusive training of tug masters, ships’ crews, river barge shippers, and pilots by certified KOTUG trainers at SCI training facilities across the United States. The partnership was officially kicked-off by hosting Moran Towing Corporation for a week of ASD operator training assisted by Riven Marine founder Captain Jay Rivera.Since 2019…

KOTUG to Buy Seaways International

Dutch marine services and towage company KOTUG has agreed to buy offshore support vessel firm Seaways International, in what is the largest acquisition in KOTUG's history.KOTUG said the move, of an undisclosed value, was part of its strategy to expand its business in assisting worldwide floating facilities such as FSO, FPSO, FLNG, FSRU, and SPM Terminals. "In addition, it will further consolidate the position of KOTUG in this niche market that is expected to grow as new offshore floating projects emerge in response to rising energy demand…

Kotug E-Pusher Starts Commercial Service

Kotug will deploy the E-Pusher type M and four barges for zero-emission barging of cocoa beans from CARGILL between the Port of Amsterdam, the largest cocoa import port in the world, and their cacao facilities in Zaandam. The innovative vessel is equipped with swappable battery energy containers from Shift Clean Energy (Shift). Cargill will be the first company with this fully electrified industrial setup for inland shipping. With the 100% electric E-Pusher is designed to be modular and scalable, with the type M designed to push barges with up to 4,000 tons of cargo.

KOTUG Canada Bags Charters for Three Vessels

Marine services and towage firm KOTUG Canada Inc., a partnership between KOTUG International and Canada’s Horizon Maritime Inc., has won a long-term agreement with Trans Mountain, operator of Canada’s only oil pipeline servicing the West Coast of Canada providing tidewater access to foreign markets for Canada’s petroleum resources. KOTUG Canada will provide escort towage to tankers loaded at Westridge Marine Terminal. "KOTUG Canada was selected for this purpose by shippers on the Trans Mountain Pipeline after a rigorous and competitive process facilitated by Trans Mountain.

Kotug to Install Shift's PwrSwäp Batteries

KOTUG International B.V. and Shift Clean Energy announced the formation of a partnership to use Shift’s new PwrSwäp clean energy service—which uses swappable batteries on a pay-as-you-go basis—on KOTUG’s E-Pusher vessels.The signing of the MoU coincides with COP26 in Glasgow, where reducing global greenhouse gases (GHGs) is at the top of the agenda. The combined services support the maritime industry in reaching this goal today, without requiring any upfront capital costs and at competitive rates, the partners said.Shift’s technologies provide a ready to market pay-as-you-go service.

BHP Charters Two KOTUG Tugs for Port Hedland Work

Australian mining giant BHP has taken two KOTUG's tugs on long-term charters to support bulk carrier loadings at Port Hedland, Australia.KOTUG, a Dutch marine services and towage company, said Thursday, its new build Rotortugs RT Imperieuse and RT Clerke had arrived in Port Hedland.Both 32m ART80-32 tugs, built at Cheoy Lee Shipyard, have three Caterpillar main engines, that deliver a total output of 5,295kW each, 13 knots sailing speed, and 80 tons bollard pull power. They are equipped with advanced DMT Escort Winches.

KOTUG Starts Ops in Gabon with Perenco Contract

KOTUG International B.V. (KOTUG) won a long-term contract by Perenco Oil & Gas Gabon S.A. (Perenco) to provide towage support for their operations off Port Gentil, Gabon. The contract includes the chartering, operation and manning of three vessels, two of which are Kotug’s first-ever Rotor Tugs, the RT Magic and RT Spirit.RT Magic and RT Spirit will set sail to Gabon to support Perenco Oil & Gas in optimizing their marine spread thereby providing cost savings  simultaneously with redundancy in operations.

KOTUG Australia to Manage Towage Ops in Port Hedland

KOTUG Australia Pty Ltd  (KOTUG) and WESTUG PTY Ltd (Westug) have successfully concluded an agreement to re-shape the towage services for Pilbara Marine, a subsidiary of Fortescue Metals Group (Fortescue) in Port Hedland. The service includes the operation of nine state of the art Rotortugs at Port Hedland, which have been servicing Fortescue and other port users since the commencement of operations in 2019.After almost three years of working together to successfully establish the towage service for Fortescue in Port Hedland…

KOTUG Training, AMC Search ink Partnership

KOTUG Training & Consultancy, the training and consultancy division of KOTUG, and AMC Search, the training and consultancy division of the Australian Maritime College (AMC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a long-term strategic partnership. The MoU encompasses exclusive training of (tug) masters, ships’ crews and pilots in Australia by certified KOTUG trainers at AMC’s training facilities in Tasmania.

KOTUG Invests in the Future, Launching Inland Shipping Unit

KOTUG International B.V. (KOTUG) established an inland shipping division to provide electric powered pusher tugs and smart AI-driven dispatch and route planning applications for the inland water transportation industry, aiming to support the worldwide energy transition and the modal shift from road transport to waterways while meeting the growing demand for electric-powered vessels. "The inland shipping market offers a great opportunity for sustainable logistical solutions," says Ard-Jan Kooren, CEO of KOTUG International B.V.

KOTUG Anchor Handler Secures Offshore Work in Guyana

Dutch marine services and towage company KOTUG said it has been awarded a long-term contract by ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) to provide offshore terminal towage support for operations in Guyana.KOTUG, through local entity KOTUG Guyana Inc., will employ a high-spec 130 tonnes bollard pull, DP-2 azimuth anchor-handling tug SD Power to provide support to the existing and upcoming floating production, storage and offloading units (FPSO) at the Liza Field in the prolific Stabroek Block offshore Guyana by providing towage assistance to export tankers…