From left to right: Kommer Damen (Chairman of Damen Shipyards Group), Pascal Slingerland (Damen Shipyards Regional Sales Director, Middle East) and Capt. Adil Banihammad (CEO Marine Services & General Manager SAFEEN Marine Services)
The Dutch-headquartered shipbuilder Damen Shipyards and the Abu Dhabi based Safeen Group, part of AD Ports Group, have signed an agreement for the lease and purchase of an all-electric Damen RSD-E Tug 2513, which will be the first fully electric tug to operate in the Middle East.
The powerful yet compact new tug, which is just 25 meters in length but has a bollard pull of 70 tons, is capable of maneuvering even the largest vessels and can undertake two or more assignments before being recharged, which takes just two hours, as Damen says.
Following the successful launch of the class in August 2022 in the Port of Auckland, New Zealand, Damen Shipyards began series production on speculation with an initial run of six vessels. The first to be completed has now departed Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam and is en-route for Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi where it will join the tug fleet operated by Safeen Group.
Damen’s Financial Services (DFS), a subsidiary of Damen Shipyards, is providing a leasing package to support the purchase. DFS has recently acquired a second RSD-E Tug 2513 which is available on a lease-to-own basis.
The contract was signed on the second of May in Abu Dhabi by Capt. Adil Banihammad and Mr. Kommer Damen.
The vessel will be unveiled to the international towage community at the 27th International Tug & Salvage Convention, Exhibition & Awards taking place from 21 to 23 May in Dubai.
Following that it will enter service in Khalifa Port handling container ships, car carriers and other traffic. With shore-based charging facilities yet to be introduced, it will operate initially in hybrid mode with the Tier III compliant generators being used to charge the batteries.
Pascal Slingerland, Damen Shipyards regional sales director in Middle East, says that “We are delighted to be working with Safeen Group as they once again lead the way in setting new standards in sustainability in the Middle Eastern maritime community.”
Source: Damen Shipyards Group
