World's biggest Rotortug named at Albwardy Damen

This January, Albwardy Damen in Sharjah hosted a naming ceremony for the world’s biggest Rotortug, the ART 100-46 RT Raven. The vessel will be operated by Perth-based KT Maritime Services Australia, a joint venture partnership between Kotug International and Teekay Shipping Australia.

The 46m long Infield Support Vessel (ISV), RT Raven is built to a Robert Allen design, and features DP2 and a 100 tonnes bollard pull capability. The new tug, built at the Sharjah yard, will be used for offshore support operations and has been designed and outfitted for operations in the Timor Sea. In particular, Albwardy Damen points out that RT Raven has been specifically designed to meet the field’s unique marine service requirements, which include tanker berthing and operations support, including emergency response.

Speaking at the delivery ceremony, Lars Seistrup, managing director of Albwardy Damen, commented: “This is a special vessel in many ways. It is the biggest Rotortug ever built, and it is also one of the most powerful tugs ever built in the UAE. We are very pleased with the end result which is the consequence of close cooperation and teamwork with the client.”

Albwardy Damen is a joint venture between Albwardy Investment, Dubai, and the Damen Shipyards Group, Holland. Both are family owned companies with a long history. The company provides shipbuilding and ship repair services to the marine and oil and gas related industries in the Middle East, and currently has a total workforce of around 1100 people of 26 different nationalities in three UAE locations- Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah.