Svitzer has signed a contract with Cheoy Lee Shipyards for six additional 29-metre TRAnsverse 2900 tugs, bringing the total number of that vessel type on order with the Hong Kong-based yard to 14, the Copenhagen-headquartered towage company announced.

The contract award coincides with the final stages of construction of the first TRAnsverse 2900 being built at Cheoy Lee's facility in Zhuhai, China, ahead of sea trials. Deliveries under the new contract are scheduled to begin in early 2028.

According to Svitzer, the six additional vessels will be equipped with 80 tonnes of bollard pull and will be biofuel-ready and compliant with IMO Tier III emissions standards, as well as fitted out for firefighting class 1 (FiFi1) operations.

Kasper Karlsen, Svitzer's Chief Operating Officer, said: "As our TRAnsverse fleet expands, we are giving customers greater flexibility to optimise their operations, overcome constraints and improve performance across productivity, safety and sustainability. We value our longstanding relationship with Cheoy Lee Shipyards and are pleased to build on this collaboration with an order for six additional TRAnsverse 2900 tugs. Together, these vessels will support our customers and contribute to more efficient and resilient maritime supply chains around the world."

The latest contract brings the total number of TRAnsverse vessels currently under construction globally to 20, with more than three-quarters of Svitzer's tugs on order belonging to the TRAnsverse class. The design is available in 26m, 29m, 32m and 35m variants, with electric, hybrid and conventional diesel-powered configurations.

Svitzer adds that the TRAnsverse tug's design — which combines an omni-directional hull form and propulsion with a patented half-circle towing staple — delivers higher steering and braking forces than comparable azimuth stern drive (ASD) tugs of a similar size, with lower fuel consumption.

Thomas Bangslund, Head of Innovation at Svitzer, stated: "The 29-metre version of the TRAnsverse tug is a very versatile tug design capable of covering applications from escort towage to harbour towage in the same agile package. It can perform a wider variety of jobs, do them faster, deliver greater stability, responsiveness to pilot orders and efficiency for port and terminal operations. Its ability to work in all towage positions around an assisted vessel and assist vessels of all sizes provides customers with greater flexibility and options that conventional tug designs do not."

Ken Lo, Director at Cheoy Lee Shipyards, remarked: "We are pleased to be selected as a construction partner for six new 29-metre TRAnsverse tugs, and we are looking forward to expanding the partnership with the Svitzer team. As with all our work, our team will deliver the project in line with our guiding focus on quality, service and reliability."

The TRAnsverse 2900's principal dimensions include a length overall of 29 m, a beam of 13.1 m and an operational displacement of 699 tonnes, with a summer waterline displacement of 788 tonnes.