State-owned Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has added five new tugboats that are aimed at improving shipping efficiencies at the Port of Durban, as part of its R1-billion investment towards a reliable marine fleet.

The tugs will be integrated into commercial shipping operations this week at the Port of Durban.

The tugboat acquisition involved seven tugs, with two allocated to the Port of East London. This brings TNPA’s tugboat complement to a total of 38 across its eight commercial seaports, with the Port of Durban having 14 tugs.

These assets are critical for delivering marine services and various port services, such as piloting, towage, firefighting, marine search and rescue, as well as waterside pollution combat.

The additional fleet will enable the Port of Durban to respond with on-demand craft for the safe navigation of vessels within the port.

With a bollard-pull of 60 t, the tugs delivered by Damen Shipyards Cape Town have new hull designs and propulsion systems, consisting of diesel engines fitted with Azimuth Stern drives.

These comply with the International Maritime Organisation’s Tier III environmental standards.

This also makes the tugs fully capable of handling larger vessels that call at South Africa’s premier container port, TNPA notes.

"The five Damen ASD tugboats are equipped with the company's Triton Internet of things solution and will help to improve operational efficiency and safety at the port. The collaboration also drives modernisation in South Africa's maritime sector, and we are excited to continue working with TNPA to shape the future of South Africa’s ports,” says Damen Shipyards Cape Town director Sefale Montsi.

“Investing in marine assets is important to meet the objectives of the Marine Fleet Renewal Programme that, coupled with a skilled workforce, will increase our ability to meet global shipping demands,” says Transnet chairperson Andile Sangqu.

Investment in its marine fleet is an important element of Transnet’s efforts to revitalise South Africa’s ports and support economic growth. TNPA's Recovery Plan prioritises revitalising ageing marine assets to improve operational efficiency and serve its customers better.

“TNPA is accelerating its investment in operational infrastructure and is capacitating the port to deliver on its core mandate of servicing customers efficiently.

“Our Recovery Plan seeks to improve the availability and reliability of critical equipment, as well as enhance the quality of assets in our Transnet operations,” he says.

The procurement of the new tugboats forms part of TNPA’s marine Fleet Renewal Programme, which prioritises the acquisition of marine assets to strengthen shipping operations at the ports, he says.

There is an urgent need to address the numerous constraints on Transnet’s operational performance, with the primary objective of stabilising and improving volumes, Sangqu notes.

“We are on course and are executing our plans to enhance operational and financial performance for long-term, sustainable growth,” he says.