South Africa to Get one of the most powerful tugboats in the World

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One of the most powerful tugboats in the world is among the 9 tugs to be built in Durban, South Africa in the next four years.

The construction order from Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) will be just below US $0.14bn according to the Chief Executive for Southern Africa Shipyards Prasheen Maharaj.

The Chief Executive of TNPA Tau Morwe noted that the country needed to invest in its ports by emulating Singapore and Korea who had invested in their maritime.

Maharaj noted that when construction work for the nine, including the most powerful tug buildings in the world begins, 600 people will be employed by Shipyards to build the tugs. Another 3000 jobs were expected to be created by contractors supplying for the shipyards.

Ship builders in the country were advised to start working together in order to secure bigger orders from abroad.

Launching of the first tugboats is expected to take place in November 2015, while the launch of the last one will take place in the first quarter of 2018.

Eight of the tugs will be 31 meters long and 11.5 meters wide, with almost double pulling power compared to the tugs currently being used in the South African Ports.

The ninth tug will be 42 meters long, 15 meters wide with a bollard pull of 100tonnes, making it the most powerful tugboats in the world.