New Ice Class Workhorses for Major Towage Group On Order

DENMARK – Towage company Svitzer, has signed a new deal with Turkish shipbuilder Med Marine for two new ice class tugs, the company has announced. The new 30 metre ice class tugs are expected to be delivered in Q4 2020 and Q1 2021, and will join Svitzer's 30-strong fleet of towage vessels in Scandinavia and Germany.

The tugs have been custom designed to fit Svitzer’s requirements across its Scandinavian operations. The new TundRA 3000 designs were created by Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd and have Finnish-Swedish ice class 1A status, giving them icebreaking capabilities. The vessels will use azimuth stern drive (ASD) to generate an all directional propulsion force, with a minimum bollard pull of 60 tonnes.

The vessels will also be outfitted with an innovative ultrasonic anti-fouling system on its box coolers and the hull, eliminating the need for antifouling paints, helping to reduce the vessels’ impact on the local environment. Additionally, the main engine rooms have been future proofed for impending MARPOL Tier III NOx regulations and will be prepared for selective catalytic reduction technologies.

The new tugs will replace icebreaking tugs Svitzer Helios and Svitzer Dynan, two of Svitzer’s oldest vessels with a combined 90 years of service. Both Helios and Dynan currently have a bollard pull below 40 tonnes, making the new designs a considerable upgrade on the older vessels. Speaking on the deal, Mattias Hellström, Cluster Managing Director, Scandinavia & Germany, Svitzer, commented:

“We are delighted to have closed this deal with Med Marine to build our two new custom designed TundRA 3000 icebreaking tugs. In addition to upgrading our Scandinavian harbour towage fleet, this move also secures our long-term icebreaking capabilities in the region.

“The new arrivals will allow us to finally retire our last two conventional icebreaking tugs from the Scandinavian fleet, each after more than four decades of service. The new tugs are truly custom designed for the requirements of the Scandinavia region, highlighting Svitzer’s commitment to pushing the boundaries for towage.”

Once delivered, the vessels will operate across Scandinavia, predominantly serving ports in Denmark and Sweden. The vessels have also been built to be able to navigate the locks in the Swedish city of Trollhättan, enabling icebreaking on the river as well as in Lake Vänern. Speaking of the new order, R. Hakan Sen, CEO, Med Marine, said:

“We are pleased to have signed this agreement with Svitzer to build two new icebreaking tugs for their Scandinavian fleet. As an organisation, Med Marine is committed to the highest standards, so it is a natural fit for us to work with Svitzer to build these new vessels at our group-owned Eregli Shipyard. We are excited to get to work and to deliver these vessels between Q4 2020 and Q1 2021.”

Photo: The RAstar 3000W a forerunner of the latest TundRA ice class design.