Poland’s largest towage company welcomes last next-gen ASD tug from Damen

Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards has delivered the last out of three new ASD Tugs to Poland’s largets towage company WUZ Port and Maritime Services.

On October 19, a flag-raising ceremony for the three next-generation vessels was held in Gdansk, Poland. This was followed the christening ceremony of the second ASD Tug 2811 that took place in September in Rotterdam. Named Pax, the vessel is the last in a three-tug order placed at the beginning of 2023 by the Polish operator.

Pax (ASD Tug 2811) is a next-generation vessel featuring optimal performance and efficiency as well as advanced connectivity. The 28-meter-long vessel is designed to meet the increasing demand for higher bollard pull in compact tugs as commercial vessels get bigger while the harbors stay the same.

The first two vessels, Ares, an ASD Tug 2813, and Mars, an ASD Tug 2811, were delivered to WUZ Port and Maritime Services by Damen in July this year. They were built at Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam and began operations in August in the client’s home port of Gdansk following their christening in Rotterdam

“We are very pleased to welcome the final tug of this order to our fleet,” said Marek Wengrzyn, CEO of WUZ Port and Maritime Services.

“We were honoured to celebrate this latest significant moment together with the WUZ representatives in Rotterdam,” stated Justin Rietveld, Sales Manager East & South East for Damen Shipyards.

“This has become a tradition for our companies and we are looking forward to continuing our strong relationship together.”

With the delivery of Pax, WUZ Port and Maritime Services now has seven Damen tugs in their capable fleet that totaling 17 vessels.

Their role is vital to the Port of Gdansk, handling the tankers, container vessels, bulk carriers and drilling rigs that use the port, as well as undertaking deep-water and coastal towage and other support activities.

Damen has recently scored orders from Neue Schleppdampfschiffsreederei Louis Meyer of Hamburg and Fast Lines Belgium for new tugs.