Rio Maguari Shipyard won the contract to build four harbour tugs to a Robert Allan design for Svitzer to enhance its towage services in Brazil
It will build these azimuth stern drive (ASD) tugs to a RAmparts 2300 series design with a bollard pull of up to 70 tonnes.
Svitzer Brazil managing director Daniel Reedtz Cohen said these tugs will be important additions to the existing fleet and a vital element in the company’s growth ambitions. “We have built a solid business here in Brazil with a good customer base, but we want to grow our presence even more and expand our fleet, port coverage and customer portfolio,” said Mr Cohen.
“We are now taking this important step of expanding our fleet with four newbuild tugs from Rio Maguari. They will be vital to our ability to cater to our customers’ needs for broad geographical coverage and to provide safe, reliable and efficient towage solutions.”
Svitzer entered Brazil in 2015. It operates 14 ASD tugs to service shipping requirements in the ports of Santos, Vitoria, Rio Grande, Sao Francisco do Sul and Paranagua.
This contract with Rio Maguari is the fourth time Svitzer has ordered newbuild tugs from Brazil.
Rio Maguari Shipyard commercial director Fabio Vasconcellos said these tugs are scheduled for delivery from October 2022 to April 2023. “We are very proud to have won the bid to build these high standard tugs, and we hope this is the start of a long-term partnership with Svitzer for future projects in Brazil and worldwide,” said Mr Vasconcellos.
“With this contract awarded by an operator with such a significant role in the tug industry, Rio Maguari becomes an important option to be considered by tug operators in Brazil and around the world for future newbuildings.”
This order comes as Svitzer strengthened its position in another South America nation in Q2 2021. It changed its company name in Argentina from Madero Amarres to Svitzer Argentina after securing a four-year contract to support Oiltanking.
Svitzer serviced two mono-buoys, Punta Ancla and Punta Cigüeña, in Puerto Rosales for Oiltanking’s terminal for crude oil movements. This Ebytem terminal has two single-point moorings for crude oil tankers at a depth of around 18 m.
Svitzer has been operating in Argentina since 2016 with nine vessels in four ports – Buenos Aires, Bahia Blanca, Rosario and Necochea.
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