A R1.4 billion contract has been awarded to Durban-based Southern African Shipyards, for nine state-of-the-art tugboats.

Tau Morwe, TNPA Chief Executive says, “This contract rates as the largest single contract awarded by TNPA to a South African company for the building of harbour craft. The acquisition of these tugboats is consistent with Transnet’s Market Demand Strategy to provide capacity ahead of demand ensuring productivity and operational efficiency.”

The tugboats will replace ageing vessels and increase the fleet in the ports of Durban, Richards Bay, Port Elizabeth and Saldanha Bay.

Prasheen Maharaj SA Shipyards Chief Executive , adds, “To meet an almost unprecedented target of building the nine tugboats in just 42 months, they will be built in tandem with five tugs under construction at any given time with varying launch dates.”

The first tug will be launched in November 2015 while the last tug will be handed over in the first quarter of 2018.

In another move to meet the tight building programme, sub-contractors supplying technical expertise from the installation of electrical systems, engines and propulsion units, have established workshops in SA Shipyards premises.

Underpinning the contract is a large Local Supplier Development Programme which ensures local content is maximized and that black suppliers, women owned and youth owned businesses are included in the procurement process. In addition a number of national and international training and development opportunities will be created for local employees.

Rufus Lekala, TNPA Chief Harbour Master, states, “The new tugs will be the most powerful ever to enter TNPA’s service. Compared to the older generation tugs, currently in use which have a bollard pull of 40 and 32.5 tons, eight of new tugs will have a 70 ton bollard pull. At 31 meters long, 11.5 meters wide and 18 meters high they are slightly larger than the existing ones.”

“More remarkably the ninth and final tug to be built will be 42 meters long, 15 meters wide and have a bollard pull of 100 tons making it the most powerful tug in the world.”

The bollard pull is a means of measuring in tons the maximum pull that the tug can exert on a stationary ship or object and is a way of understanding the available power of the tug. The increased bollard pull meets international standards to handle the increasing size of commercial vessels calling at South African Ports.