Tug launched for Italian/Greek joint venture in Turkey

SVS, a subsidiary of the Vernicos Scafi group, witnessed the launch of its latest newbuild tugboat being built at a shipyard in northern Turkey in February 2025.

Med Marine is building a MED-A2500 series harbour tug for SVS Maritime at the Eregli Shipyard with delivery anticipated in the next few months. This 25-m tugboat will offer 75 tonnes of bollard pull and a FiFi1 class off-ship fire-fighting system.

Med Marine launched newbuild ER172 on 12 February 2025. It was built to a Robert Allan Ltd RAmparts 2500-W design with twin diesel engines driving Z-drive azimuth thrusters through dedicated shaft lines.

Med Marine said this tug will handle a broad spectrum of maritime operations, including ship handling, towing, pushing, mooring, docking and emergency response.

Once commissioned, completed and tested, this vessel will be mobilised to Greece to start operations with SVS, a subsidiary of Vernicos Scafi, a joint venture between Vernicos and Scafi Società di Navigazione.

Vernicos Scafi president Dimitris Vernicos said this tugboat will be a remarkable vessel for the company’s fleet. “Its cutting-edge design and performance will enhance our capabilities and support our vision for a more efficient and resilient operation,” said Mr Vernicos.

ER172 has a beam of 12 m, a depth of 5 m, a draught of 6 m, accommodation for eight crew and a top speed of 12 knots.