The ITS Awards recognise outstanding vessels, operators, innovators, and professionals that raise the bar for safety, sustainability, and operational excellence. Winners are selected by industry peers, making an ITS Award a meaningful achievement and testament to operational excellence.

In 2024, winners were announced during the gala dinner at The International Tug & Salvage Convention, Exhibition & Awards. This memorable event saw over 500 industry members come together to recognise industry achievement and connect with colleagues from the 2022 event.

Venue
This years ITS gala dinner and awards took place at the following venue:
Conrad Dubai
Grand Ballroom - Level 2
Sheikh Zayed Road (opposite DWTC), Dubai

To discuss commercial opportunities please contact Indrit Kruja on indrit.kruja@rivieramm.com or call +44 20 8370 7792

Categories:

Innovation of the Year Award

This award recognises an innovative product, service or system that has significantly improved a tug design, build and/or operational aspect over the last 12 months.

Winner

Caterpillar 3516E Tug Engines

Launched commercially early 2023. Breakthrough sequential turbocharging optimises torque and response across engine range to unlock 19% greater power.

- Up to 3MW power

- Enhanced low-speed torque and response

- Increased previous 3516E durability

Congratulations to the other shortlisted companies:

Avikus Tug Surround View Monitoring System
P&O Maritime Logistics DEEP-C decarbonisation project
Markey Machine Agile-Concept Bow Hawser Winch, Class III with ARR

Sponsored by:

Ports & Harbour Award

This award recognises a port or harbour that has set industry benchmarks in one or more of the following areas over the last 12 months: safety, security, environment, efficiency, operational excellence.

Winner

DP World Global Port Network

Formed partnership with renewable energy leader Masdar to accelerate capability building, knowledge sharing and deploy solar power with energy storage across ports in Middle East and Africa. Accelerating progress on 2040 carbon neutrality and 2050 net zero.
- Facilitates faster capability ramp up through expertise leverage
- Overcomes policy hurdles on renewables adoption
- Aligns with customer decarbonisation journeys
- Applies learnings across 150+ port network
- Accelerates ambitious 2040/2050 sustainability target

Congratulations to the other shortlisted companies:

Port of Gothenburg (Sweden)
Portsmouth International Port (UK)
SOHAR Port
Port of Singapore

Safety Award

Awarded to a company, person, project or product that has either set industry safety benchmarks and/or been the difference in terms of safety of life, property and environment for tugs and/or during a salvage operation or incident over the last 12 months.

Winner

Smit Lamnalco has upheld rigorous safety protocols to enable 50+ incident-free LNG transfers between specialised tugs and carriers at Africa’s first deepwater FLNG production site since 2020.
- Custom procedures executed without incident for side-by-side FLNG vessel
berthing/loading
- Tugs with 95-tonnes BP cited as integral to safe operations by customer Eni
- Set offshore safety standard for LNG transfers in ultra-deepwater environments

Congratulations to the other shortlisted companies:

Moran Towing
UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency

Salvage Company of the Year Award

Awarded to a company that has set industry benchmarks in one or more of the following areas in the last 12 months: successful projects, safety, operations, technical excellence, crewing and training, ESG.

Winner

Multraship Towage & Salvage

In 2023, Multraship successfully completed a number of high-profile operations including the Fremantle Highway car carrier fire, preventing a major environmental disaster.
- Responded to Fremantle Highway fire, safely extinguishing blaze and removing
pollutants
- Rescued stranded Oceaan II tug and drifting Perseus pilot vessel in challenging
conditions
- Rapidly mobilized 6 tugs to control Torm Loke tanker breakaway
- Partnered to salvage sunken Jogo 4 barge blocking vital waterway

Congratulations to the other shortlisted companies:

Smit Salvage
Tsavliris Salvage
Resolve Marine
Mubarak Marine

Sponsored by:

Tug of the Year Award

Awarded to the owner, designer and builder of a tug, delivered in the last 12 months, that set industry benchmarks through innovative design and efficient operations.

Winner

HaiSea Kermode (HaiSea Marine)

Custom 40m LNG dual-fuel escort tug built for world's longest piloted route at 159nm.
Specialised for extended emissions-free escort operations.
Benchmarks:
105 tonne bollard pull
175+ tonne indirect escort forces
6,200nm range
Pioneering to receive ABS ENVIRO+ notation

Owner: Seaspan Marine Transportation
Builder: Sanmar Shipyards
Designer: Robert Allen

Congratulations to the other shortlisted companies:

Signet Sirius (Signet Maritime)
SAAM Volta (SAAM Towage)
Svitzer Bilby (Svitzer)
eWolf (Crowley Maritime)
Sultanhani (BOTAŞ Petroleum Pipeline Corporation)

Sponsored by:

Tug Owner of the Year Award

Awarded to a tug owner that has set industry benchmarks in one or more of the following areas over the last 12 months: safety, operations, technical excellence, crewing and training, ESG, business development.

Winner

Boluda Towage

-Now the largest global tug operator after strategic acquisitions
-Modernising fleets and studying methanol and other alt fuels
-Implementing sensor systems to monitor fuel and enhance efficiency

Congratulations to the other shortlisted companies:

KOTUG International
SAAM Towage
McAllister Towing
P&O Maritime Logistics
Sri Lanka Shipping Company (SLSC)

Sponsored by:

Special Commendation Award

Awarded to the owner, designer and builder of a tug, delivered in the last 12 months, that set industry benchmarks through innovative design and efficient operations.

Winner

Sri Lanka Shipping Company

Sri Lanka Shipping Company received a special commendation for their pivotal role in sustaining Colombo Port operations during Sri Lanka's economic crisis, handling 75% of port calls and maintaining essential services. Their foresight in securing fuel reserves, efficient handling of transhipment containers and swift adaptation to US dollar payments ensured uninterrupted maritime trade. The commendation also acknowledges SLSC's record-breaking 4,000 nautical mile tow and their crucial involvement in the X-Press Pearl salvage operation, highlighting their commitment to environmental stewardship and operational excellence in challenging circumstances.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Awarded to an individual who has made a contribution of outstanding significance to the international tug and salvage industry during their lifetime.

Winner

Gordon Bain, Ocean Group
Read more about the winner here

Sponsored by:

Policy on Nominations Sources

The International Tug & Salvage Awards respects the privacy of individuals and organisations who submit nominations for our awards programme. We do not disclose the identities of nominators without their express permission. There are several reasons for this policy:

Confidentiality - We want to create an environment where nominators feel comfortable providing open and honest feedback without concern that their participation will be made public without consent. Maintaining confidentiality allows for more candid assessments.

Avoid Undue Influence - Disclosing identities of nominators could create external pressures that influence the selection process, such as lobbying by interest groups. Keeping sources private reduces potential bias in judging.

Protect Relationships - For certain categories, nominations may come from an organisation's own clients, members, or industry peers. Public disclosure could damage important business or professional relationships. Our policy safeguards these connections.

Fairness - The focus in judging is on the merits of the nominees, not who nominated them. Publicising nomination sources could create perceptions of unfair advantage if a nominee is connected to or endorsed by an influential person or group.

While we appreciate every nomination, our selection process depends on impartial and rigorous criteria to maintain the credibility of the The International Tug & Salvage Awards. We believe this policy supports a fair and ethical evaluation of nominees based on achievement and excellence alone.

Nominators may of course self-disclose if they wish. Nominees are encouraged to publicly share news of their nomination with proper attribution to our awards.