Boluda continues acquisition push with addition of Seatrium tug fleet

European towage leader Boluda has again expanded its business portfolio, this time taking over Singaporean shipbuilding conglomerate Seatrium Group’s tug fleet and towage contracts. 

Boluda, already the world’s clear frontrunner as the largest tugboat operator following major merger and acquisition activity in 2025, said the move to acquire Seatrium’s tugs and towage services is part of a ’sustained growth plan in the Asia-Pacific region’.

"Over the past five years, Boluda Towage has developed a sustained growth plan in the Asia-Pacific region, positioning itself in the main port areas and terminals of Singapore, as well as in the most strategic ports of Malaysia, particularly those linked to container traffic, energy, and petrochemicals," a statement from Boluda said.

The company said it has an ’experienced’ fleet of more than 150 tugboats operating in the Asia Pacific and that the Seatrium tug fleet acquisition builds on a regional network that includes a significant tenure in the ports of Hong Kong and Timor-Leste, while also bolstering Boluda’s operations in Southeast Asia.

"With this new acquisition, Boluda Towage reinforces its position in Singapore and Malaysia, expanding its footprint in the Asian market," the company said, noting "the operation adds to its recent establishment along the northern, eastern, and western coasts of Australia and in Papua New Guinea."

In October 2025, Boluda finalised its acquisition of Boskalis’ Australia and Papua New Guinea business.

Boluda also initiated a major merger in February 2025, in a deal with MSC for its MedTug fleet that had been in the works for two years. Through the deal, MSC acquired a 49% stake in Boluda Towage via merging its Spanish subsidiary MedTug. The transaction added 180 tugboats to Boluda’s fleet, which the Spanish group said included more than 300 tugs distributed in the main ports of Europe, Africa, Latin America and the Indian Ocean. The company’s website listed this at 369 vessels, making the total of the merged fleet roughly 550 vessels, prior to the addition of Seatrium’s tugboats.

Boluda noted the complexity of operations in Southeast Asian ports in its statement on the Seatrium acquisition, calling the region ’dynamic’ and one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors.

"The integration of Seatrium Group’s harbour tug fleet enables Boluda Towage to strengthen its role as a key partner for shipping lines, terminals, and logistics operators in a region where efficiency and safety are essential for global competitiveness," the company said.