On 8 May 2024, KOTUG Canada Inc., a partnership between KOTUG International B.V. and Horizon
Maritime Inc., held a keel laying ceremony for two RAsalvor 4400-DFM dual fuel methanol escort
tugs – Robert Allan Ltd. design – to service the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, at Sanmar
Shipyards Altinova in Yalova, Turkiye.
Laying the keel is a traditional maritime ceremony that signifies the official start of a ship’s
construction. This keel laying ceremony signifies a major milestone for the project enabling it to
proceed to the construction phase to meet the delivery schedule by mid-2025. This milestone was
celebrated in the presence of representatives of KOTUG Canada and Sanmar Shipyards to mark the
commencement of construction of the two revolutionary vessels.
The two innovative tugboats, designed by Robert Allan Ltd., are the first of their kind to be powered
by methanol and are engineered to provide the high bollard pull required for the Trans Mountain
Expansion Project.
Ard-Jan Kooren, President & CEO of KOTUG International: “We are thrilled to collaborate on this
groundbreaking project that not only transforms the maritime sector but also plays a crucial role in
reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainability in the shipping industry.”
Ali Gürün, Chairman of the Board of Sanmar Shipyards “During the keel laying ceremony, we not
only marked the beginning of the physical construction of the vessels but also the continuation of an
ambitious project that pushes the boundaries of maritime technology and environmental
consciousness.”
The tugs will escort tankers from the harbour limits of the Port of Vancouver to the open Pacific
Ocean through the commercial shipping lanes of the Salish Sea. To provide this service, KOTUG
Canada has partnered with the Sc’ianew First Nation from Beecher Bay, strategically located along
the shipping route.
These two innovative tugs, to be named SD AISEMAHT and SD QWII-AAN’C SARAH in honour of
important members of Sc’ianew First Nation, are scheduled to be the world’s first large purpose-built high bollard pull methanol fuelled tugs when they enter service in 2025. They will provide
significant environmental benefits by further reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and
underwater radiated noise.
Berkay Yilanci (Kotug. Site team) Ozgur Yakut (Kotug. Site team), Marcel van Meel (Kotug), Cem Seven (Sanmar Shipyards), Ali Gürün (Sanmar Shipyards), Ipek Gürün (Sanmar Shipyards), Zoë Kooren (Kotug), Ard-Jan Kooren (Kotug), Maciej Zielinski (Kotug.)
See the backgrounder for more information about the project and the vessel specifications.
