Kongsberg Maritime has won a contract to provide the design and equipment for two powerful salvage tugs being built by Alexandria Shipyard as main contractor on behalf of the Suez Canal Authority. The tugs will be based on Kongsberg Maritime’s UT 722 CDT Design.

The UT 722 tugboat design has a length of 71.6 metres, bollard pull of approximately 200 tonnes, and it can operate independently for up to 35 days.

Egypt’s Alexandria Shipyard successfully bid on this significant contract with the Suez Canal Authority in cooperation with Kongsberg Maritime, which is providing technical support including vessel design, main equipment deliveries, maintenance systems, and crew training. Alexandria Shipyard is the main contractor for the building and delivery of the new tugs, which are to be completed in 2025 and 2026.

“The Suez Canal Authority’s tendering process for these tugs has been going for a long time, and a large number of designers, suppliers and shipyards have been involved in this international competition,” said Jørn Heltne, Kongsberg Maritime Vice President for Sales and Contracts. “The Authority recognises the need for increased salvage capacity at the canal, which sees about 70 vessels transit each day and is responsible for about 12% of global trade by volume.”

Heltne added: “The equipment and systems we are providing will ensure these tugs have trustworthy and precise handling and control, as well as the muscle needed to keep the Suez Canal open.”

The integrated equipment from Kongsberg for each tug includes Kongsberg Promas propulsion systems with Twin-In-Single-Out Reduction Gears, Kongsberg bow and stern tunnel thrusters, propulsion control systems, joystick control systems, integrated bridge control systems, power electric systems including switchboards, dynamic positioning, passive stabilisation systems, deck machinery, and K-Fleet maintenance software systems.

“These new tugs will be key to ensuring the future reliability of the canal for international shippers. We look forward to working with Kongsberg Maritime to build the world’s most important tugboats!” said Rear Admiral Hossam El-Din Ezzat Kotb, Chairman of Alexandria Shipyard. The shipyard is one of the largest in Africa and the Middle East, with enormous capacity for building all vessel types, including tugboats.

“I am proud to say that Kongsberg Maritime’s cutting-edge design and world leading technology have been chosen for this prestigious contract,” said Lisa Edvardsen Haugan, President of Kongsberg Maritime. This is a testament to our unwavering commitment to innovation, reliability and performance. My congratulations to our team and to Alexandria Shipyard for winning this all-important contract.”