Damen has secured an order for its second ATD Tug 2909 order from the South African Navy.
The deal was confirmed on February 4, 2016.
Escorted by six existing South African navy tugs ‘Inyathi’ – meaning buffalo – is the second Damen ATD Tug 2909 ordered by the South African Navy after the first ‘Imvubu’, was previously welcomed into the navy fleet.
After a transparent tender process, the two vessel replacements awarded to Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT) were introduced with a traditional sail past.
The ATD Tug 2909 has a bollard pull of 43 tonnes, a length of 29 metres, a beam of 9.98 metres, and a maximum speed of 13.2 knots.
The tugs will be deployed for towing, mooring and fire-fighting operations for the South African Navy’s current and future fleet of vessels under all-weather conditions within the confines of Southern Africa’s ports and in coastal waters.
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Commander Hermann van Geems, Project Officer at the South African Navy, said: “We're very happy with the result of this project.
“Imvubu has certainly proven her worth over the last six months and we expect the same from her sister vessel. Damen has been excellent to work with throughout.”
DSCT built the registered SAMSA Class VIII vessels with a South African workforce in keeping with governmental imperatives to create and maintain local job opportunities.
Sam Montsi, Chairman of DSCT, said: “We are proud that the local content in the two Damen ATD Tug 2909 tugs amounts to over 50%.
“The construction of these two vessels has also contributed to South African skills development and job creation through Damen Shipyards Cape Town’s apprenticeship programme.”
