Neue Schleppdampfschiffsreederei Louis Meyer of Hamburg has placed an order with Damen Shipyards for the one of the first of its next generation ASD Tug 2111 vessels.
The new tug will be operated on a long-term charter by Emder Schlepp-Betrieb (ESB) for operations in its home port of Emden, one of the three main ports in Europe for car shipping. There, its shallow draught and compact size together with over 50t of bollard pull make it suitable for manoeuvring large vessels in all respective areas of the port.
This is the third Damen vessel to be purchased by Louis Meyer and the second for ESB, the first being an ASD Tug 2810 in 2020. The company is in the process of upgrading its tug fleet, which will stand at six vessels once the latest addition becomes operational.
Damen Sales Manager Germany Joschka Böddeling said: “This contract is special for Damen. The contract signing ceremony took place at the start of September and it marked one of the first sales of our new ASD Tug 2111 class. It is the latest vessel in our Compact Tugs product platform and as well as incorporating all the latest advances in efficiency, reliability and sustainability it is especially suited for agile operations within ports and harbours.”
Edvin Kohlsaat, MD Neue Schleppdampfschiffsreederei Louis Meyer said: “We are very excited about the forthcoming delivery of the new ASD Tug 2111. Its design perfectly matches the needs of our customer. We wish them safe sailings, and prosperous performance. Furthermore, we are very happy to support a greener supply chain with the IMO Tier III standard”.
Key design features of the ASD Tug 2111 include a 2.4m diameter propeller, for increased thrust, and the patented Damen Twin Fin to ensure course keeping and predictable sailing behaviour during both free sailing and bow to bow operations.
With the ASD Tug 2111 already in series production at Damen Shipyards Changde, ESB will take delivery of its new vessel in the first quarter of 2024 following upgrades to enable winter operations and Tier III emissions compliance.
