Deck machinery ordered for Britoil tug newbuild fleet 

Britoil Offshore Services has contracted Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard in China to build six tugboats with equipment for handling ships and anchors for port and offshore applications.

The Singapore-headquartered owner has also ordered low-pressure hydraulic winch systems for these vessels, which will have a bollard pull of 80 tonnes, from Kongsberg Maritime. This order could be increased if Britoil engages the shipyard to build two more tugs under the options it has retained.

Kongsberg will deliver its winch systems to the shipyards for installation in Q2 2026 and Q1 2027, ensuring they are ready for future anchor handling requirements in the Middle East and Asia markets. 

“We are building vessels that will set new standards in anchor-handling performance and operational efficiency,” said Britoil Offshore Services global technical lead Mohit Sabharwal. “This is an important project for Britoil.” 

Britoil ordered these 45-m anchor handling tugboats at Zhenjiang Shipyard in Jiangsu province in May 2025. 

Zhenjiang Shipyard has become a major builder of azimuth stern drive (ASD) tugboats for ports and coastal services. At the end of August, it delivered two 38-m ASD tugs, Hua Xi Tuo 7 and Yang Zi Tuo 8, to Jiangyin Chengang Tug Shipping Co. These each have 3,676 kW of power, a bollard pull of 56 tonnes, and a speed of 15 knots.