New contract paves the way for construction of Damen vessel designs in Türkiye

April 22, 2025, by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak

Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards Group signed a contract with Turkish conglomerate İÇDAŞ for the local construction of an azimuthing stern drive (ASD) tug.

With this order, the vessel will be constructed locally in Türkiye under the Damen Technical Cooperation (DTC).

As informed, Damen will provide İÇDAŞ with a vessel design and licence package, enabling the company to construct the tug at its own shipyard in Çanakkale. İÇDAŞ will operate the tug at its own ports on the Sea of Marmara.

The company operates two ports in the region, İÇDAŞ 1 and İÇDAŞ 2. The former boasts 1,655 meters of berthing space, sufficient to accommodate between twelve and twenty vessels, depending on size. The second port features 624 meters of berthing space.

The ASD Tug 2813 forms part of Damen’s Compact Tugs range. The tug is 27.59 meters long and has a beam of 12.93 meters. The vessel is able to deliver 83 tonnes bollard pull ahead and up to 80 tonnes astern.

“We are delighted to sign this contract with İÇDAŞ. It marks a major milestone for Damen’s operations in Türkiye, paving the way for the local construction of our proven vessel designs in the country. I am very grateful for this fruitful and lasting cooperation between İÇDAŞ and Damen and am looking forward to supporting them with their construction of the vessels, and to seeing the ASD Tug 2813 in operation in the country,” Emre Turkoz, Regional Sales Director of Damen, commented.

İÇDAŞ, like Damen, is a family-owned company. It was founded in the 1880s and is the largest private steel producer in Türkiye and is active in shipbuilding. In addition to these sectors, İÇDAŞ operates in various industries including energy, logistics, port operations and more.

“We are pleased to further strengthen our collaboration with Damen through the construction of this ASD Tug 2813. Damen’s proven expertise in high-performance tug design and project support continues to align with our long-term objectives in shipbuilding and tug construction. This initiative not only enhances our capabilities in delivering advanced and reliable vessels, but also contributes to the development of Türkiye’s maritime industry,” Necati Aslan, Board Member of İÇDAŞ, said.

Last week, Damen Shipyards Group signed a contract with Istanbul-based Arena Offshore A.S. for the local construction of two Stan Tugs 1606. The tugs will be constructed in Türkiye under the DTC. The contract has been described as Damen’s first design collaboration with an external company in Türkiye.