Svitzer and Cheoy Lee Shipyards have signed a contract for six additional 29m TRAnsverse tugs, bringing the total number of TRA2900 vessels on order with the yard to 14. The agreement comes as the first of eight TRA2900s already under construction with Cheoy Lee nears completion, ahead of sea trials in Zhuhai, China.
“As our TRAnsverse fleet expands, we are giving customers greater flexibility to optimize their operations, overcome constraints and improve performance across productivity, safety and sustainability,” said Kasper Karlsen, Svitzer’s chief operating officer. “We value our longstanding relationship with Cheoy Lee Shipyards and are pleased to build on this collaboration with an order for six additional TRAnsverse 2900 tugs. Together, these vessels will support our customers and contribute to more efficient and resilient maritime supply chains around the world.”
The new vessels will have 80 metric tons of bollard pull and will be biofuel-capable, IMO Tier III compliant and Firefighting Class 1 (FiFi1) ready. Deliveries under the new contract are scheduled to begin in early 2028.
The TRAnsverse design combines an omni-directional hull form and propulsion system with a patented half-circle towing staple, which Svitzer says provides higher steering and braking forces than similarly sized ASD tugs, along with lower fuel consumption.
“We are pleased to be selected as a construction partner for six new 29m TRAnsverse tugs, and we are looking forward to expanding the partnership with the Svitzer team,” said Ken Lo, director at Cheoy Lee Shipyards. “As with all our work, our team will deliver the project in line with our guiding focus on quality, service and reliability.”
“The 29m version of the TRAnsverse tug is a very versatile tug design capable of covering applications from escort towage to harbor towage in the same agile package,” said Thomas Bangslund, head of innovation at Svitzer. “It can perform a wider variety of jobs, do them faster, [and] deliver greater stability, responsiveness to pilot orders and efficiency for port and terminal operations. Its ability to work in all towage positions around an assisted vessel and assist vessels of all sizes provides customers with greater flexibility and options that conventional tug designs do not.”
Svitzer said the new contract brings its total number of TRAnsverse vessels under construction to 24 globally, with more than three-quarters of its current tug orders now made up of TRAnsverse vessels. The design is available in 26m, 29m, 32m and 35m variants, with electric, hybrid and conventional diesel-powered configurations.
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