Service contracts cut downtime, maintenance costs

Long-term service contracts for propulsion equipment have gained in importance for tugboat owners and operators  as they seek greater safety and reliability, uninterrupted operations and greater cost control.

In June and July, two tug owners secured multi-year service agreements from two different manufacturers of azimuth thrusters to manage the maintenance of propulsors on their vessels.

SAAM Towage signed an agreement with Spay, Germany-headquartered Schottel covering asset monitoring and predictive maintenance.

Under the agreement, Schottel will assign a fleet manager to co-ordinate the monitoring of thrusters and controls, facilitate the exchange of technical information and support the creation of an integrated database of the equipment installed in SAAM’s fleet.

Around 37% of the Chilean company’s azimuth tugboat fleet has equipment from Schottel, which opened a workshop in Cartagena, Colombia, in 2026 to strengthen its service and technical support capabilities in Latin America.

“The agreement allows us to move toward a more integrated and collaborative relationship with Schottel, with a focus on continuously improving the availability of our fleet and the efficiency of our maintenance processes,” said SAAM Towage manager of the fleet and operations, Alentue Pompei. “This is a crucial step toward further strengthening the reliability of our operations and the service we provide to our customers,” he added.

Schottel will use technology to anticipate maintenance requirements, manage contingencies, secure critical spare parts and reduce response times.

Kotug International contracted Kongsberg Maritime to provide long-term services to thrusters on escort tugs built to assist ships at offshore energy terminals in West Africa.

“Maximise vessel availability and reduce operational risk”

Kongsberg will service 10 of its US255 fixed-pitch thrusters that are installed, two each, on five tugboats during their lifetime of operations for the Dutch owner.

It will monitor the condition and performance of these thrusters to support preventative maintenance and reduce the risk of unplanned downtime, while charging a fixed annual fee.

“Our customers depend on us to deliver safe, reliable and uninterrupted operations every day,” said Kotug International corporate technical manager, Marcel van Meel.

“This agreement supports that commitment by providing a proactive maintenance approach to maximise vessel availability and reduce operational risk,” he said. “It is an important step in ensuring the long-term performance of this fleet,” Mr van Meel added.