The Netherlands: Kotug to Take Over Three Damen ASD Tugs

March 30, 2012

Kotug will soon take over three Damen ASD Tugs 2810 for utilization. The construction of these tugs was commissioned by Elizabeth Ltd in Malta and chartered by Kotug, both part of the Kooren Maritime Services Group (KMS). Two tugs are deployed in the port of Rotterdam and the third will serve in the port of Hamburg. It is the first time that Damen Shipyards builds tugs for the KMS Group.

Damen Shipyards and Kotug have a good, longstanding mutual relationship. Ard-Jan Kooren, Kotug CEO, said: “We know Damen long as a repair yard and now also as a construction yard. This is the first time we engaged Damen for a construction project.”

He added that “Damen’s portfolio is of high quality” and “the short delivery time and quality were decisive in our decision to invest in three tugs.”

Kotug has offices in Rotterdam, Hamburg and Bremerhaven and is represented in England, Norway, Australia and Brazil. With a fleet of over 30 tugs, Kotug is active in various markets such as the port and towage, salvage, offshore and dredging industry. Like Damen, Kotug has an on-going R & D program. This has resulted in the Rotor ® Tug- concept, based on a configuration of three propulsion units, which have a high degree of manoeuvrability. In addition, Kotug recently launched its E-Kotug, or the ‘RT Adriaan. This is the first hybrid Rotor Tug ® in the world.

The three ASD’s 2810, that form part of more than 80 ASD’s 2810 tugs under construction at the construction yard, have been delivered from the stock of Damen Shipyards Galati (Romania) and built in accordance with a standardized method of Damen’s shipbuilding.

Upon completion, the tugs are adapted to the specific needs of the client. With this method, Damen Shipyards ensures rapid delivery without compromising quality. Damen Services provides transport from Galati to Rotterdam, where Damen delivers tugs on a turnkey basis, in this case within two weeks after order confirmation.

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Dredging Today Staff, March 30, 2012; Images: damen