Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has added five new tugboats to service vessels at the Port of Durban as part of the implementation of its R1-billion investment to build a reliable marine fleet.
The ports authority officially launched and named the tugboats during a christening ceremony held at the port on Thursday.
Its latest tugboat acquisition includes a total of seven tugs, two of which have been allocated to the Port of East London and are scheduled to be launched at a christening ceremony in September.
This brings TNPA’s tugboat complement to a total of 38 across its eight commercial seaports, 14 of these based at the Port of Durban. These assets are used to provide port services such as pilotage, towage, firefighting, marine search and rescue, as well as to combat waterside pollution.
Speaking at the ceremony in Durban, Transnet Board chairperson, Andile Sangqu, highlighted the significance of investing in marine assets.
“The procurement of this fleet demonstrates Transnet’s commitment to fully realising the recovery plan. We are now approaching 12 months of the 18-month cycle and can see improvement in the agility of executing strategic projects, which will enhance the organisation's competitiveness,” he said.
“Meeting the objectives of the marine fleet renewal programme, coupled with a skilled workforce, will catapult our responsiveness to meeting global shipping demands.”
The Damen ASD tugboats, delivered by Damen Shipyards Cape Town, have a bollard-pull of 60 tonnes, and feature the latest hull and propulsion system designs, with diesel engines fitted with Azimuth Stern Drive. The vessels comply with the International Maritime Organization’s Tier III environmental standards.
Damen Shipyards Cape Town director, Sefale Montsi, said the vessels employed cutting edge technology.
"Equipped with Damen's internet-of-things Triton solution, these tugs are game-changers for operational efficiency and safety,” he said.
The tugs will be integrated into commercial shipping operations at the Port of Durban this week.
