Kongsberg Maritime has won a contract to supply azimuth thrusters to Turkish shipbuilder Med Marine to power six new stern-drive tugs for the Tunisian port authority OMMP.
The new tugs, of Robert Allan RAstar 2800 series design, will offer powerful and reliable performance for a range of towing and harbor operations in Tunisian ports.
Kongsberg Maritime will supply a pair of its US205 FP azimuth thrusters, to each of the six 28-metre vessels. The thrusters feature 2.8 meter, fixed pitch propellers which will deliver efficient operation and enhanced maneuverability, providing the tugs with a significant bollard pull of 60 tons.
This innovative thruster system will significantly improve operational efficiency in Tunisian ports by providing our tugs with higher performance, better maneuverability, and lower fuel consumption, said Ertugrul Cetin, Procurement & Technical Group Director of Med Marine.
“The US thruster was chosen for its long history in the maritime industry, proven performance, and reliability. In addition, our close co-operation with Kongsberg Maritime’s worldwide teams was also an important factor in this decision. We believe that this project is an important step in improving the safety and efficiency of Tunisian ports, and with Kongsberg’s US thruster, our tugs operating in Tunisian ports will be able to perform exceptionally well even in the most challenging sea conditions.”
