The steel cutting ceremony for the four Robert Allan Ltd. designed ElectRA 2500-SX model tugboats to be built under the contract signed between SANMAR and BOTAŞ was held at Sanmar Altınova Shipyard on October 11.
When completed, the four tugboats with build numbers 379, 380, 381 and 382 will have a bollard pull capacity of 70 tons, a speed of 12 knots and accommodation for a crew of eight
ElectRA 2500-SX series tugboats with 5,085 kWh battery packs will be equipped with backup diesel generators for fire fighting and long term operations. When necessary, the fuel needs of the generators will be met with tanks of 54 m³ capacity.
Cem Seven, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sanmar Shipping, Sanmar management and employees, BOTAŞ LNG Operations Manager Erdinç Deli, BOTAŞ branch managers and BOTAŞ employees attended the steel cutting ceremony. Yalova Port President Deniz Kaya, board members of Turkish tugboat operator YALPAŞ, executives from the Turkish maritime industry and Sanmar’s business partners also attended to the ceremony.
Cem Seven, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sanmar Shipping and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ship Yacht and Services Exporters’ Association, said the following in his speech at the ceremony: “The world is in a period of significant change with the transition to the use of eco and sustainable fuels. In line with IMO’s targets, the sector is expected to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions until 2050. In this direction, the importance of alternative fuels in maritime is increasing. Electric propulsion systems seem to be the most suitable solution for tugboats and marine vessels to be used in port services. We wish that 4 ElectRA 2500-SX tugs with 70 tons of bullard pull will be beneficial for BOTAŞ and we thank them for their trust in Sanmar Denizcilik and their environmentalist approach.”
Erdinç Deli used the following expressions in his speech: “‘First of all, as BOTAŞ family, we would like to thank the valuable managers and employees of our Contractor Sanmar for their kind invitation to the steel cutting ceremony of our Four Electric Tugboat supply project. We are starting the manufacturing of our Four Electric Tugboats, which will be used in the manoeuvres of the LNG vessels that will dock at BOTAŞ Marmara Ereğlisi LNG Terminal and BOTAŞ Saros FSRU Terminals, which are of strategic importance in ensuring the energy security of our country. As you know, the maritime sector is one of the sectors most affected by global warming and climate change. Therefore, transitioning to environmentally friendly technologies is critical for both the future of our industry and the future of our world. In addition, our cooperation with Sanmar will be an important milestone in this transformation in line with our “Fossil Fuel-Free Maritime Industry” targets in our National Energy Efficiency Action Plan. I believe that this journey we have started here today will mark new epoch in the maritime industry and contribute to leaving a cleaner world to future generations. I thank you all and wish you success in our project. “
BOTAŞ LNG Operations Manager Erdinç Deli and Marine Affairs Manager Bülent Altun pulled the trigger on the first steel cutting. At the end of the ceremony, Cem Seven presented a plaque to Erdinç Deli.
Sanmar’s revolutional ElectRA Series tugboats are the result of ongoing collaboration with Robert Allan Ltd. and Corvus Energy. These tugboats aim to protect the environment by using alternative fuels and innovative technological solutions, pioneering the production of low or zero emission tugboats and creating a sustainable towage services industry.
