Tugbuilders buoyed by high newbuild demand 

Shipyards worldwide are benefiting from buoyant towage markets, with several picking up new orders and vessel sales, while starting newbuilding campaigns. Tugs under construction frequently have propulsion compliant with IMO Tier III emissions requirements, even for markets that do not legislate for it, such as Latin America, the Mediterranean, Australia and New Zealand. 

In Q3 2025, Damen Shipyards secured orders for azimuth stern drive (ASD) tugboats with IMO Tier III-compliant propulsion for ports in New Zealand. Port Marlborough is the latest to contract the shipbuilder, having ordered an ASD 2312 design tug to enhance its services in Picton Harbour.

This will be a 23-m tug with a bollard pull of 70 tonnes from two main diesel engines driving two azimuth thrusters, with an exhaust aftertreatment system for removing NOx. Port Marlborough has named this tug Kaiaua and expects it to be delivered in mid-2026. 

“We are investing in the future capability of our port with a second modern tug,” says Port Marlborough chief executive Rhys Welbourn. “This customer-led investment strengthens our ability to respond quickly, assist effectively and support shipping partners making use of the deepest berth in New Zealand.” This will be the second modern ASD tug in Port Marlborough as it welcomed Damen-built harbour tug Kaiana in 2024.

Port Otago is spending around NZ$15M (US$9M) on an ASD 2312 design tug, also with 70 tonnes of bollard pull, ready for its arrival in New Zealand by January 2026 to help handle container ships of up to 10,000 TEU and large bulk carriers.  

Damen has also secured an order for an ice-breaking tugboat from Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation in Ontario, Canada, to manage winter ice and keep a ferry service in operation. A hull for a Damen Stan Tug 1706 ICE design vessel will be built in in Poland and outfitted in the Netherlands before being mobilised to operate on Lake Simcoe in H2 2026. This 17-m tug, with a beam of around 6 m, will have a speed of 11 knots, bollard pull of 30 tonnes and an ice-breaking bow.

In India, Cochin Shipyard (CSL) has started building tugboats for Polestar Maritime to Robert Allan Ltd designs. It secured a contract in July for two ASD tugs with Niigata engines and 70 tonnes of bollard pull for delivery in 2026.

This is in addition to three harbour tugs its subsidiary Udupi-CSL is building for Polestar with similar expected performance from a contract it won earlier this year. All newbuild orders have come under a government-backed programme to support tug construction in India.

In Turkey, Sanmar Shipyards gained contracts to build two tugs for Ultratug, one bound for Mexico and another for Colombia, to Robert Allan’s RAmparts 2400SX-MKII design. Med Marine picked up orders from Svitzer for two tractor tugs in Mexico and Uzmar is working on a methanol dual-fuel hybrid-propulsion tug for the Danish owner.

In China, Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard cut steel on 15 ASD tugboat construction projects for domestic owners in July and August 2025. It is building tugs for the National Hazardous Chemicals Emergency Rescue Gulei group, Jiangsu Anhang Shipping, Nantong Lusi Port Tugboat, Shanghai Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, Taixing Port Group and several unnamed owners. It also launched four tugboats for COSCO Shipping Bulk Cargo Transportation Co.