Sharjah Ports Authority, has taken delivery of a Damen ASD Tug 2411, named Al Luolo’ Aya, the company said in its press release.
The Sharjah Port and Customs Authority is a long-term customer of Damen and already has eight Damen Stan Tugs and a recently delivered Damen pilot boat in its fleet. The new Damen ASD 2411 is the port’s first ASD tug.
The tug was built at Damen Shipyards Sharjah, which is located in the Hamriyah Free Zone and is one of three ports owned and operated by Sharjah Ports Authority. At the same facility, Damen is also constructing a series of ASD Tugs 2411 and 2810, both on speculation and on contract.
With a 68.5 tonne bollard pull ahead, the Damen ASD Tug 2411 will be deployed at Port Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates. The vessel is fully equipped with FiFi 1 and water spraying notation.
Khor Fakkan is one of the leading container transhipment ports. It is strategically located on Sharjah's Indian Ocean coast, just outside the Straits of Hormuz and close to the main east-west shipping routes. Khor Fakkan's location makes it an obvious choice for shipping lines with large transhipment volumes and which also require easy access to the UAE hinterland. Recently, a major expansion of the port has been completed and the new tug will allow the port to handle even larger container vessels.
With hundreds of Damen vessels operating in this region, it is a huge advantage that the Damen Shipyards Group has a large shipbuilding and repair facility in the United Arab Emirates. With onsite warranty and service engineers and modern newbuild and drydock facilities, Damen can provide the best service throughout the lifetime of the vessel.