Tug Malta said yesterday it has ordered two huge tug boats costing, over EUR50m in all, aiming to develop offshore services in North African countries, and in the Mediterranean in general.
Rimorchiatori Riuniti SpA of Genoa, Italy, which last July took majority shareholding in Tug Malta Ltd from the government, described the contracts as important decisions to establish Tug Malta as a leading player in the central Mediterranean and beyond, as far as towage and ancillary services are concerned.
Tug Malta operated successfully for a number of years, and in 2006 took delivery of two powerful 68-tonne Bollard Pull tugs, newly built for the company by Damen Shipyards Limited of The Netherlands, to meet demands created due to the ever-increasing size and number of container-ships using the facillities at Marsaxlokk. The demands necessitated posting three powerful tugs there at all times. Today, the company says it is offering an efficient and cost-effective service for vessels calling at Malta, and which wish to utilise the towage services offered by the company.
“As everyone is aware, most ship-owners view tugs as a necessary evil. In some European ports, towage is either compulsory, or minimum tug requirements are laid down. In Malta, we have a table of tug norms which has been established in consultation with the Malta Maritime Authority, but which is only a guideline for pilots and/or ship masters who are ultimately responsible if tugs are used or not.”
However, a Ship’s Master choosing not to make use of tugs needs to be very aware of the risks, as the slightest error could result in damage to his vessel, to other vessels, or to the ports’ infrastructure, and may also result in the tugs being summoned after all, for salvage.
Towage rates in Malta are officially regulated by the Malta Maritime Authority through Towage Tariff Rates and Conditions made public by a legal notice. These rates are based on a scale of gross tonnage (indicating the size of the vessel), the number of tugs used, and the duration of the move. To encourage its major clients, the company allows rebate rates to shipowners whose vessels call frequently at Malta.
Local towage rates, the company said, are well below those charged in other Mediterranean ports, so Tug Malta is very competitive. Tug Malta will keep investing in the more powerful tugs that will be needed to serve more efficiently the types of vessel using Malta’s harbours today.
Following an international call for offers in September 2006 in order to identify a strategic partner, who could “add value” to Tug Malta’s operations in Malta as well as in the Mediterranean, in July 2007, Malta Government Investments Limited sold its 73 per cent shareholding in the company to Rimorchiatori Malta Limited, a company of the Rimorchiatori Riuniti SpA group of Genoa, Italy, established in 1922 and today involved in towage, shipping activities and maritime logistics in Europe and South America.
At the end of October 2007, the new board of Tug Malta Limited met in Malta for the second time under the new shareholders. Present for the meeting were directors Dott. Giovanni delle Piane, president of Rimorchiatori Riuniti S.p.A., Dott Gregorio Gavarone, managing director and chief executive officer of Rimorchiatori Riuniti S.p.A., and Ing. Riccardo Biale, executive director of Rimorchiatori Riuniti S.p.A. Also present were John E. Sullivan representing one of the minority shareholders, who was re-appointed chairman of the company, Dr Richard Camilleri, and Godwin Falzon. The other minority shareholders were represented by Charles J. Farrugia and Andrew Zammit.
Some very important decisions have been taken to expand the fleet. It has been decided to build, in a leading European shipyard, two new vessels, with the aim to develop offshore services in North African countries and in the Mediterranean in general. The first vessel is an 80 tons Bollard Pull harbour / escort/ anchor handling tug primarily designed to operate in the Maltese harbours and their approaches. The vessel is due to be delivered in December 2008, and will be equipped with Voith Schneider propulsion and twin MAK main engines able to give a total power of 7.180 BHP.
The second vessel, an Anchor Handling Supply Vessel with delivery due in April 2010, is a MOSS 424 Mark III design with a DWT of 3100 tons, and will be equipped with four main engines (Bergen) with a power of 19,000 BHP able to give a bollard pull of about 210 tonnes. The vessel will also be equipped with a Fire Fighting system Class 2, Dynamic Positioning 2, and oil recovery capability, in order to match the technical/operational requirements coming from offshore operators.
The total value of these two investments will be of over e50,000,000. Both contracts for the tugs were signed recently. It is foreseen that the financing of the first vessel will be done in Malta. A leading local bank has shown a keen interest.
A training programme for Tug Malta’s tug crew members represents one of the most important goals of the group. The programme is in process, and will be divided into two parts: one on theory (manuals and special courses) and one on practical (on board the tugs with group personnel) for familiarization with the new equipment. The aim is to reach a high level of professionalism for the Maltese crews for towage and offshore services.