Turkish shipyard Sanmar secures a repeat order for TRAktor 3000 Class escort tug from a Norwegian operator
Buksér og Berging AS (BuBe), a leading Norwegian owner and operator, has reaffirmed its faith in Sanmar Shipyards by placing an order with the Turkish company for the construction and delivery of a new TRAktor 3000 Class escort terminal tug, the shipbuilding firm said in a press release.
The vessel is to be designed by the Canadian designers Robert Allan Ltd. specifically to meet BuBe’s requirements. It will be an azimuth tractor type with forward mounted Z-drives, have a length overall of 30m and a bollard pull of 75 tonnes. Delivery is scheduled for the first quarter of 2020.
Powered by a twin installation of IMO Tier III engines developing a total power of around 4,500kW, the exceptionally manoeuvrable new vessel will be to ABS classification with full FİFİ1 and Escort notation. It will also be able to operate in light ice and slush conditions.
Commenting on the decision to adopt the true tractor principle for their new tug, Vetle Sverdrup, managing director of BuBe said; “ We decided to go for a new tractor design due to its improved performance in escort mode and also when working on the bow at high speeds compared to ASD designs. A tractor also offers better manoeuvrability in certain situations. The vessel will operate in Scandinavian waters on one of our contracts for escort and harbour towage.”
This is a repeat order from BuBe expressing the operator’s appreciation for Sanmar’s technological skills and high standard of workmanship: the yard had built and delivered five tugs for BuBe back in 2014 of which two were renowned as the world’s first single LNG fuelled tugs.
Added Cem Seven, MD of Sanmar: “This prestigious order confirms our belief that the current depreciation of the Turkish Lira actually is giving us much more competitive advantage in the market. The Turkish economy is enjoying a period of sustained growth and to maintain this, the Turkish Goverment is prioritising exporters and other foreign currency earners. Being one of the major ship exporters in the country , the significant foreign currency income of Sanmar is putting us into a good position.”
Buksér og Berging is a privately owned company providing marine services since 1913. It currently operates 30 vessels for harbour duties and offshore support from close to Oslo and Stavanger. Furthermore, it operates a fleet of 25 high performance pilot boats stationed at 16 pilot stations along the Norwegian coast.
