Boluda starts towage in major Central American port

Boluda Towage, a subsidiary of Boluda Maritime Corp has commenced services in another port in Honduras, Puerto Cortés on the Caribbean coast.

This is the only deepwater port in Central America and one of the largest and best equipped in the region, with a terminal for container ships and other quaysides for general cargo and food products.

Boluda Towage introduced two newbuild azimuth stern drive (ASD) tugs, VB Bribon and VB Kukulkan, which were constructed by Damen Shipyards, into the port at Puerto Cortés during March.

These 263-gt vessels were built with 70 tonnes of bollard pull and two main diesel engines, connected to selective catalytic reduction units for removing NOx emissions for compliance with IMO Tier III standards, and driving two azimuth thrusters.

Boluda Towage said these tugs are the first tugs with IMO Tier III environmental qualification to operate in Honduras.

They are joined in Puerto Cortés by 2004-built, 382-gt VB Chihuahua, a 32-m ASD tugboat, to support larger ships using the port. VB Chihuahua has equipment to support ship escort and towage and for fighting fires in harbour.

Boluda Towage said these tugboats optimise manoeuvring of ships in the harbour and "speed up the logistics chain, guaranteeing the continuous flow of the country’s maritime foreign trade".

The Spanish company said it is committed to decarbonisation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, "as well as the improvement of air quality in the coastal areas and port cities in which it operates".