Svitzer signs contract with SDHI for 4 biofuel-ready TRAnsverse tugs

The contract is for four TRAnsverse 3200 tugs, similar to the two in operation at the Port of Newcastle, Australia, today. (Photo: Svitzer)

Svitzer, a leading global towage provider, announced Aug. 6 that it has signed a contract with Swan Defence and Heavy Industries Ltd., India’s largest shipbuilding and heavy fabrication company, to build four 32-meter TRAnsverse tugs at its Pipavav shipyard in Gujarat.

Svitzer said this is its first contract with SDHI and reflects the company’s continued investment in fleet growth and renewal via the next-generation TRAnsverse class design and its deepening relationship with Indian industry.

“Our growing TRAnsverse tug fleet offers significant benefits to customers in terms of releasing operational constraints and improving port productivity, sustainability and safety margins,” said Svitzer CEO Kasper Friis Nilaus. “The contract also reflects our continued investment in the Indian maritime sector, highlighting our ongoing commitment to ‘Maritime India Vision 2030,’ along with ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives. Investment commitments like today further build India’s shipyard capability, creates high-value, skilled employment and expands global experience in building the most advanced towage design on the market. It is of course also great to be investing further in Gujarat and Pipavav, where Svitzer has a connection to the region providing important harbor towage operations. We are pleased to partner with SDHI to deliver four of these next-generation vessels to the benefit of our customers and maritime supply chains globally.”

SDHI CEO Vipin Kumar Saxena added, “It is indeed a notable achievement for SDHI to construct one of the world’s most sophisticated towage vessels. Svitzer’s rigorous evaluation process reaffirms the strength of our engineering capabilities in the niche, high-specification vessel segment. Winning our fourth consecutive export contract also reflects the growing confidence of global category leaders in SDHI’s ability to deliver to the highest international standards. As we continue to expand our capabilities, we remain focused on strengthening India’s position as a globally competitive shipbuilding destination.”

Deliveries of the first vessels under this order are scheduled from first-quarter 2028.

The TRAnsverse 3200 tugs will be biofuel-, IMO Tier III- and Firefighting Class 1 (FiFi1)-ready.

The vessels are designed to provide 80-ton bollard pull and provide exceptional maneuverability and escort capability.

Two TRAnsverse 3200 vessels have successfully been in commercial operations for more than 12 months at the Port of Newcastle, Australia, where the vessel design is demonstrating its ability to unlock maritime efficiencies, Nilaus said.

“The tug’s unique hull design, staple configuration and inline propulsion provide superior stability, responsiveness and efficiency for port and terminal customers,” he said. “It delivers high direct and indirect steering forces at speed compared to conventional tug designs and can operate at all towage positions around the vessel it is assisting, providing unparalleled versatility.”

The contract order with SDHI brings Svitzer’s current TRAnsverse vessels under construction to 18 globally (not including contract options).

Electric and biofuel-ready designs are being built in 26-meter, 29-meter and 32-meter variants.

Earlier this year, the vessel design passed more than 3,000 commercial towage jobs.