Kotug Smit Towage takes on three new Damen tugs for sustained operational growth

Damen Shipyards Group will deliver three newbuild tugs to Kotug Smit Towage for its European harbour towage operations. This order will bring the total number of Damen-built tugs operating in Kotug Smit’s fleet of 69 to 22.

This agreement encompasses two ASD Tugs 2913 and an ATD Tug 2412 Twin Fin.

The ASD 2913 is renowned for its manoeuvrability and environmentally efficient performance and boasts 80 tonne bollard pull. DAMEN has outfitted one of the two 2913 vessels with a fire-fighting system. The 70 tonne bollard pull ATD Tug 2412, with its Twin Fin feature, combines compactness with manoeuvrability.

Simultaneously, Kotug Smit Towage commenced a charter of a Damen-built ASD 2810 Hybrid tug, which was renamed Hampshire during Kotug Smit’s ‘Herring with friends-party’ – a traditional Dutch event to mark the beginning of the herring season – in Rotterdam. Hampshire was freshly delivered from DAMEN Shiprepair Rotterdam, where she had been repainted in Kotug Smit Towage colours.

Damen Shipyards Group
Damen Shipyards Group operates 33 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 9,000 people worldwide. DAMEN has delivered more than 6,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers some 180 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Based on its unique, standardised ship-design concept DAMEN is able to guarantee consistent quality.

Damen’s focus on standardisation, modular construction and keeping vessels in stock leads to short delivery times, low ‘total cost of ownership’, high resale values and reliable performance. Furthermore, DAMEN vessels are based on thorough R&D and proven technology.

Damen offers a wide range of products, including tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons and superyachts.

In addition to ship design and shipbuilding, DAMEN Shiprepair & Conversion has a worldwide network of 17 repair and conversion yards with dry docks ranging up to 420 x 80 metres. Conversion projects range from adapting vessels to today’s requirements and regulations to the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DSC completes around 1,350 repair and maintenance jobs annually.

Kotug Smit Towage
Kotug Smit Towage was established on 7 April 2016 following the merger of the European harbour towage services of KOTUG (part of Kotug International) and SMIT (subsidiary of Boskalis). It is a leading provider of harbour towage services in north-western Europe, operating in 12 ports in Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands and The United Kingdom. Kotug Smit’s high quality services meets the required operational and safety standards in the maritime industry, enabling them to achieve a leading position in the European ports.