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Damen Tugs News

08 Jan 2025

New Zealand Ports Order Damen’s Dredger

TSHD 1000 dredger (Credit: Damen)

Damen Shipyards Group has signed a contract with Port Otago and its partner Napier Port for the delivery of a Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger (TSHD) 1000.At nearly 60 meters in length, the dredger has a maximum hopper volume of 1000m3 with twin azimuth thrusters and bow thruster to ensure appropriate maneuverability in the long entrance to Port Chalmers and Dunedin.The TSHD will arrive in New Zealand with a Green Passport under the IMO rules, after the completion of construction at Shipyard 189 in Haiphong in Vietnam.Set for delivery in 2027…

05 Dec 2024

Damen Delivers New Tug to Maltese Operator

(Credit: Damen)

The operator Tug Malta has held a naming ceremony for its latest tug, Med Aldebaran, following its delivery from Damen’s shipyard in Vietnam.With more than 80 tonnes of bollard pull at its disposal, the tug of Damen RSD Tug 2513 type will add significant strength to the company’s operations in Malta’s Port of Marsaxlokk.The tug is a compact, maneuverable vessel combining elements of ASD and tractor tugs.The Med Aldebaran tug has been outfitted with a Damen Marine NOX Reduction System.

04 Dec 2024

Damen RSD Tug 2513 named in Malta ceremony

The Damen RSD Tug 2513 "Med Aldebaran" (c) Damen

On December 4th, Tug Malta held a naming ceremony for its latest vessel, a Damen RSD Tug 2513, in Malta. During a celebration attended by the Prime Minister of Malta Robert Abela, the vessel was named Med Aldebaran.With more than 80 tonnes of bollard pull at its disposal, the new vessel will add significant strength to the company’s operations in Malta’s Port of Marsaxlokk. The RSD Tug 2513 is a compact, maneuverable vessel combining elements of ASD and tractor tugs to deliver an ‘always bow first’ approach to towage.

06 Nov 2024

First Damen Shrimp Trawler 2607 Completes Sea Trials

Damen Shrimp Trawler CREDIT Damen

New vessel’s performance exceeds efficiency expectations, says Damen.Recently, the first in series Damen Shrimp Trawler 2607 successfully completed its sea trials in the Port of Hamriya, UAE. Damen has designed the new vessel for the next generation of (sub) tropical shrimp fishing. The design aims at the provision of a straightforward, no-nonsense platform, easy to operate and with minimal maintenance requirements. The Shrimp Trawler 2607 has an extremely low fuel consumption…

01 Jul 2024

Damen Christens New Tug Built for Muller Dordrecht

(Credit: Damen)

Dutch shipbuilder Damen and towage company Muller Dordrecht have held christening ceremony took place in the Netherlands, marking the delivery of a new Damen ASD Tug 3212.Named En Avant 26, the vessel was the third to be delivered by Damen to Muller Dordrecht in the past three years, the others being another Damen ASD Tug 3212 En Avant 25 and a Z-drive Pushboat built by Concordia Damen.The En Avant 26 was built at Damen’s specialist tug yard Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Haiphong…

24 May 2024

Damen’s Tugs to Run on CMB.TECH’s Dual-Fuel Hydrogen Technology

Rendering of ASD Tugs 2812 FF-H2 (Credit: Damen)

CMB.TECH and Damen have signed collaboration agreement for four hydrogen-powered tugs.Built by Damen, the vessels will use CMB.TECH's dual fuel hydrogen technology that will significantly reduce emissions.The agreement was signed on May 23, 2024, the same day the classification society Lloyd’s Register presented CMB.TECH and Damen with an approval in principle (AiP) for the hydrogen solution that will be installed in the tugs.The dual fuel hydrogen ASD Tugs 2812 FF-H2, with 80-tonnes bollard pull…

10 May 2024

Fairplay Towage Orders Two More Damen Tugs

(Credit: Damen)

Fairplay Towage Group has placed an order with Damen Shipyards for the delivery of two additional tugboats.One of the two tugboats is of the ASD Tug 2813 design, while the other will be fitted with azimuth stern drives and a bollard pull of 60 tonnes and with an aft winch for offshore towage.The ASD Tug 2813 boasts a bollard pull in excess of 80 tonnes for harbor assistance. Both vessels will be fitted with external FiFi capabilities for swift response to emergencies.These are the most recent vessels to be purchased by Fairplay from Damen…

11 Mar 2024

Norway’s BOA Group Orders Two Damen Tugs

(Image: Damen)

Dutch shipbuilding conglomerate Damen Shipyards Group announced it has signed a contract with BOA Group for two ASD Tugs 3010 ICE. Due to Damen’s practice of constructing vessels in series for stock, the tugs were already under construction at the time of order and will be delivered later this year.BOA’s fleet consists of specialized offshore vessels, semi-submersible barges and harbor tugs. The order for these two Damen tugs is a part of the Norwegian company’s strategic fleet…

30 Oct 2023

Damen Completes ASD Tug Trio Delivery to Polish Client

Credit: Damen

Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards has recently delivered three ASD Tugs to Poland’s WUZ Ports and Maritime Services.“On the 19th of October, the flag raising ceremony for three new ASD Tugs took place in Gdansk, Poland. In the presence of a large group of Polish and international associates and company employees, the new tugs were welcomed into the fleet. This followed the christening ceremony of the second ASD Tug 2811 that took place in September in Rotterdam. Named Pax (in Latin "Peace”)…

09 Aug 2021

Transhipment Services Australia Orders Damen Crane Barge

(Photo: Damen)

Transhipment Services Australia (TSA) has ordered a transshipment crane barge from shipbuilding group Damen, who says it will be able to deliver the new the Crane Barge 6324 directly from stock to fulfil the order in a period of only four weeks.TSA has been contracted by Metro Mining to provide transshipment services for its Bauxite Hills Project located along the Skardon River on Cape York Peninsula, north of Weipa in Far North Queensland. With a presence in three sites across Australia…

18 May 2021

Fratelli Neri Names Three New Tugs

(Photo: Damen)

On May 15, Fratelli Neri held a naming ceremony for three Damen RSD Tugs 2513 in Livorno, Italy. Two of the vessels, named Romito and Calafuria were built at Damen Shipyards Galati and were delivered to Fratelli Neri at the end of 2019. Both of these tugs offer 70 tonnes bollard pull in the configuration tractor tug.The latest addition to the company’s fleet has been named Gabriella Neri, for the wife of Chairman Piero Neri. Damen built the vessel at Damen Song Cam Shipyard and delivered her in Livorno in January this year.

07 Dec 2020

Pair of Damen-build Boluda tugs Arrive in Zeebrugge

A pair of newbuild Damen tugs, VB Bolero and VB Rumba. arrived over the weekend to their homeport Zeebrugge in Belgium. Photo courtesy: Mike Louagie and Redhead TV for Boluda Towage

A pair of newbuild Damen tugs, VB Bolero and VB Rumba. arrived over the weekend to their homeport Zeebrugge in Belgium in the presence of a small group of delegates of MBZ / Port of Zeebrugge and Boluda Towage.The VB Bolero and VB Rumba are highly maneuverable, high performance, environmentally friendly vessels of modern design. The 85-tonnes bollard pull ASD tugs 2813 were built at Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam and are both complying with the most recent IMO Tier III emission standards.Aside from the Union Koala…

28 Jul 2020

Port of Antwerp Orders Two Tugs from Damen

(Image: Damen)

Damen Shipyards Group said it has been awarded a contract by the Port of Antwerp to deliver two IMO Tier III compliant RSD Tugs 2513 following "an intensive tender process". The compact ship-handling tugs each offer 70 tonnes bollard pull. The azimuth driven RSD Tugs 2513 has two bows, which means high performance in both bow and stern assisting operations. As a result of the always bow first approach, Damen has been able to incorporate a higher freeboard than would usually be possible on a tug of this size – meaning no water on deck…

02 Sep 2019

Damen Sells Two ASD Tugs to Ecuador

Dutch shipbuilding giant Damen Shipyards Group said that it has  sold two Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) Tugs to Ecuador-based DLEN S.A.According to the operator of 36 shipbuilding and repair yards, the vessels will give tug assistance during bunkering operations to Corpetrolsa’s fleet of tankers, a subsidiary of DLEN, as well as other vessels entering the ports of Esmeraldas and La Libertad.The new two-vessel order follows hot on the heels of last year’s delivery of three Damen Stan Tugs to the DLEN. In terms of fuel efficiency, power and manoeuvrability, those three vessels have proven their worth to such an extent that the client returned…

22 Aug 2019

Damen Wins UX Design Award

Photo: Damen

Damen Shipyards Group won an award for the Human Machine Interface that it has been developing over the past two years for its Next Generation Tug Series. The UX Design Awards are intended to honor innovative solutions that add value to applications, technologies and services through positive experiences, thereby strengthening people's abilities, enabling novel applications and facilitating access to new fields of knowledge.The Human Machine Interface (HMI) developed by Damen in partnership with VanBerlo has won a Product 2019 Award.

02 Jul 2019

Multraship Naming Ceremony for Damen Tugs

Photo: Damen

Dutch towage company and maritime services provider Multraship Towage & Salvage has carried out christening ceremonies at its home port of Terneuzen in the Netherlands for its two new Damen-built tugs – one of which is the first IMO Tier III-compliant tug in Europe.The vessels are a Reversed Stern Drive (RSD) Tug 2513 and an Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) Tug 3212, which were officially named Multratug 6 and Multratug 29 respectively. The naming ceremonies took place on 28 June during the Terneuzen Harbor Days…

20 May 2019

SMS Towage Orders Tug Duo from Damen

The Damen ASD 2411 ‘Manxman’ on its maiden voyage to SMS Towage on the Humber Estuary (Photo: Damen)

UK towage company SMS Towage has purchased two tugs from Damen Shipyards. The first vessel, called Manxman, was handed over on April 12, just seven days after contract signing. The contract for the second vessel, to be called Marksman, was signed on May 1 with a delivery date scheduled for June 7th. Both vessels are Damen ASD Tugs 2411, and mark the first Damen tugs for SMS Towage.Established in 2002, SMS Towage started towage activities on and around the Humber Estuary on the UK’s east coast.

17 May 2019

New Kotug Smit Tug Named Buffalo

Photo: Kotug Smit Towage

On May 15, 2019, the naming ceremony of the new Damen-built tug ‘Buffalo’ took place in the Port of Southampton, UK.Kotug Smit Towage has taken four newly-built Damen tugs into service for its European harbor towage activities, in 2017 and 2018. The latest of this quartet, the ‘Buffalo’ is currently operating in the Port of Southampton.The ‘Buffalo’ is an ATD Tug 2412 Twin Fin. With her 72-tonne bollard pull, the tug combines compactness with maneuverability. The naming ceremony of the tug ‘Buffalo’ was performed by Lady Sponsor Mrs. Petra Hille Ris Lambers, the spouse of Mr.

25 Sep 2018

Kotug Smit Towage Takes Four Damen Tugs into Service

Kotug Smit Towage has taken four newly-built Damen tugs into service for its European harbour towage activities, in 2017 and 2018. One of this quartet, the Southampton is currently operating in the Port of Zeebrugge.The Southampton is an ASD Tug 2913 and has a bollard pull in excess of 80 tonnes. The tug is renowned for its manoeuvrability and environmentally efficient performance. The naming ceremony of the tug Southampton was performed by Lady Sponsor Mrs. Ariane Labargue, the spouse of Mr. Rik Goetinck, Vice President of the Port of Zeebrugge (MBZ).Kotug Smit’s General Manager Scheldt Area, Geert Vandecappelle: “As a token of our appreciation for the many years of cooperation between MBZ and Kotug Smit Towage…

14 Sep 2018

New Tug Named ‘Southampton’

On September 13, 2018, a Damen-built tug for Kotug Smit Towage was named ‘Southampton’ at a ceremony in the Port of Zeebrugge. (Photo: Kotug Smit Towage)

On September 13, 2018, a Damen-built tug for Kotug Smit Towage was named ‘Southampton’ at a ceremony in the Port of Zeebrugge.Kotug Smit Towage has taken four newly-built Damen tugs into service for its European harbour towage activities, in 2017 and 2018. One of this quartet, the ‘Southampton’ is currently operating in the Port of Zeebrugge.‘Southampton’ is an ASD Tug 2913 and has a bollard pull in excess of 80 tonnes. The naming ceremony of the tug ‘Southampton’ was performed by Lady Sponsor Mrs. Ariane Labargue, the spouse of Mr. Rik Goetinck, Vice President of the Port of Zeebrugge (MBZ).

25 Jun 2018

Damen Debuts Next-Gen in Harbor Towage

RSD 2513 - Tier 3 system (Photo: Damen)

With the presentation of the RSD Tug 2513, on June 25th, at the ITS 2018 in Marseille, France, Damen introduces its next generation ship-handling tugs. Composed of a mix of new designs and a further evolution of existing designs, this next generation series is built on a solid foundation. New and proven technologies are combined and applied in a modular way, to achieve the best balance in flexibility with high value for money over the entire lifecycle. The next generation range is led by the innovative RSD Tug 2513, a compact and powerful tug redefining compact agility in harbor towage.

15 Jun 2018

Kotug Smit Towage Names Two New Tugs

(Photo: René van der Kloet for Kotug Smit Towage)

European harbor towage operator Kotug Smit Towage named two of its newest tugs Rotterdam and Beagle during a ceremony Wednesday at the Port of Rotterdam, where both tugs are currently operating.The new vessels were constructed by Dutch shipbuilder Damen. The Rotterdam is an ASD Tug 2913 with a bollard pull in excess of 80 metric tons, and the Beagle is an ATD Tug 2412 Twin Fin with 72 metric ton bollard pull.During 2017 and 2018, Kotug Smit Towage has taken four newly-built Damen tugs into service for its European harbor towage activities.

04 May 2018

Coating Selection Delivers Fleet Uniformity – Even After Touchups

(Photo: courtesy of The Sherwin-Williams Company)

A 10-tug build project leads to federal standard color update for Great Lakes Towing Company.Attention to detail enables uniformity. And when you’re refreshing a renowned tugboat fleet with a 117-year history, you want to ensure a uniform look across all vessels to portray a strong brand image. Doing so means achieving uniform coloring throughout the fleet. It also means having uniform colors on each vessel between dry dockings – such that maintenance coatings don’t stand out…