Sharjah Ports Authority has taken delivery of a Damen ASD Tug 2411, named Al Luolo’Aya. HE Sheikh Khaled bin Abdullah bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Seaports and Customs at the Hamriyah Free Zone Authority and Sharjah Airport International Free Zone presided over the ceremony, which was held at Damen Shipyards Sharjah.
Also present were Mahamed Meer Abdelrehman Al-Sarrah, Director of Seaports and Customs, Saud Salim Al Mazrouei, Director of Hamriyah Free Zone Authority and Sharjah Airport International Free Zone, Lars Seistrup, Managing Director of Damen Shipyards Sharjah. The ASD 2411 Tug is fully ‘built in Sharjah for Sharjah’.
The Sharjah Port and Customs Authority is a long-term customer of Damen and already has eight Damen Stan Tugs and a recently delivered Damen pilot boat in its fleet. The new Damen ASD 2411 is the port’s first ASD tug.
Following the ceremony, Sheikh Khaled bin Abdullah bin Sultan Al Qasimi toured and inspected the Al Luolo’Aya. Having seen the vessel he said: “I am impressed by the quality and outfitting of all the A-brand materials on board.”
The tug was built at Damen Shipyards Sharjah, which is located in the Hamriyah Free Zone and is one of three ports owned and operated by Sharjah Ports Authority. At the same facility, Damen is also constructing a series of ASD Tugs 2411 and 2810, both on speculation and on contract.
With a 68.5 tonne bollard pull ahead, the Damen ASD Tug 2411 will be deployed at Port KhorFakkan in the United Arab Emirates. The vessels fully equipped with FiFi 1 and water spraying notation.
KhorFakkan is strategically located on Sharjah's Indian Ocean coast, just outside the Straits of Hormuz and close to the main east-west shipping routes. KhorFakkan's location makes it an obvious choice for shipping lines with large transhipment volumes and which also require easy access to the UAE hinterland. Recently, a major expansion of the port has been completed and the new tug will allow the port to handle even larger container vessels.
With hundreds of Damen vessels operating in this region, Damen Shipyards Group has a large shipbuilding and repair facility in the United Arab Emirates. With onsite warranty and service engineers and modern newbuild and drydock facilities, Damen can provide the best service throughout the lifetime of the vessel. In addition, ASD training is being provided, including ‘on the job’ instruction by an experienced ASD Captain.
Damen Shipyards Group operates 32 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 9,000 people worldwide. Damen has delivered more than 5,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers some 160 vessels annually to customers worldwide.
Damen offers a wide range of products, including tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons and superyachts. <
