ENGAGE Marine has ordered three new tugboats, ASD Tug 3212s, from Dutch shipbuilder Damen.
The company will deploy the new tugs at the Port of Abbot Point. Last month, North Queensland Bulk Ports awarded Engage Marine a non-exclusive towage licence for the port.
The ASD Tug 3212 design is part of Damen’s standardised portfolio. This means the company builds the tug for stock to facilitate quick delivery. Damen is to deliver the three new tugboats to Engage Marine in the third quarter of this year.
Engage Marine CEO Mark Malone said his company chose the ASD 3212 because of their proven design. He also said they are well suited to the prevailing conditions of the operation.
“Damen’s ability to deliver on time, high quality assets with dedicated support during the build, delivery process and locally, once in operation, give us confidence in reliability from the start,” Mr Malone said.
“The design promotes crew comfort, operational capability and energy efficiencies, all high on Engage Marine’s list of providing sustainable towage services. A modular approach to IMO tier III nitrous oxide requirements also means we can deliver on environmental commitments well into the future.”
Damen sales manager Asia Pacific Sjoerd de Bruin said: “The discussions between our two organisations have been smooth, professional and very constructive and I am looking forward to developing our relationship over the coming months.”
Damen says the ASD Tug 3212 brings excellent seakeeping behaviour, superb manoeuvrability and outstanding towing characteristics.
The ASD Tug 3212 has a maximum bollard pull of 85 tonnes with a length of 32.7 metres and a beam of 12.82 metres.
