THE FIRST of three new Svitzer tugs has arrived at Geraldton Port.
Following a community naming competition, the first vessel was named Svitzer North after former Geraldton Port harbour master Thomas “Martin” North – a highly regarded harbour master both locally and within the broader shipping industry.
Two further tugs – Svitzer Wilu and Svitzer Abrolhos – are due to arrive within the next two months as part of Svitzer’s non-exclusive license for towage services with Mid West Ports Authority.
Svitzer North is 30 metres in length, has 70 tonnes of bollard pull and can perform escort and ship handling duties for large tankers and bulk carriers.
The new tugs will improve safety and efficiency at Geraldton Port, including advanced firefighting capabilities on board.
Western Australia ports minister Alannah MacTiernan said with Geraldton Port expanding, it is vital to continue investing in services and infrastructure to facilitate trade.
“The arrival of the new tugs extends a level of confidence to trade partners in our commitment to the Port of Geraldton, its continued development and economic contribution to the region,” she said.
Svitzer Australia general manager – west Jodie Ransom said, “We are pleased to be boosting our capabilities within the port to provide safe and efficient towage services into the future”.
In other news at Svitzer Australia, late last year the company welcomed Deniz Kirdar True as general manager for east coast ports.
With 17 years of experience in global shipping in both frontline and headquarter roles, Ms Kirdar True has worked across various Maersk brands in Turkey, Switzerland, the UK and Denmark.
She joined Svitzer in 2014, first as chief operating officer for Svitzer Europe and most recently as head of operational excellence at Svitzer headquarters in Copenhagen. She has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the Middle East Technical University and Master of Science in Organisational Psychology with merit from the University of London.
