Baltic towage and icebreaking operator Alfons Håkans returned to Damen following positive feedback from the Port of Luleå’s ASD Tug 3413 ICE
Damen has secured an order from Finnish towage and icebreaking specialist Alfons Håkans for the delivery of an ASD Tug 3413 ICE, with the contract signed during the International Tug and Salvage conference in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Alfons Håkans, a sixth-generation family-owned company, provides towage, salvage and icebreaking services throughout the Baltic Sea region, serving clients in Finland, Estonia and Latvia. The operator already has number of icebreaking tugs, including a Damen ASD Tug 3010 ICE, which Damen delivered in 2019
The latest order follows positive operational feedback from the Port of Luleå, which currently operates the ASD Tug 3413 ICE Victoria. Based on those reports, Alfons Håkans selected the design for its fleet expansion and future icebreaking operations.
Captain Joakim Håkans, head of the Håkans family, said, “Our captains are in close contact with the captains in the port. They have heard very positive reports about the performance of the ASD Tug 3413 ICE, including its operational capabilities in ice. Additionally, they also gave favourable feedback about the support they have received from Damen Services following the delivery of the vessel. This, combined with our earlier experience with Damen, gave us the confidence to proceed with this order.”
The ASD Tug 3413 ICE is designed for operation in harbours and open waters and is able to handle the harshest ice conditions. The vessel boasts a hull strengthened according to BV Ice Class 1-A SUPER Finnish-Swedish rules. It features steel up to Grade E and high tensile steel grades with plating thickness between 10 and 24 millimetres as well as ice-protected anodes.
The hull’s unique coating enables the vessel to operate in temperatures down to -40 degrees Celsius. The tug also has heated railings, floor panels on deck, and glazing. Its highly efficient single winch for fore and aft operations is located in a sheltered, frost-free position in the wheelhouse.
The ASD Tug 3413 ICE is fitted with open contra-rotating stainless steel Steerprop SP60CRP thrusters. These combine the manoeuvrability of azimuth propulsors with the efficiency of CRP technology, generating over 70 tonnes of bollard pull and ensuring suitability for operations in challenging conditions.
As a result of Damen’s stock-building programme, the shipbuilder was able to offer Alfons Håkans a fast delivery. At the time of the order, the tug was already completed at Damen’s specialist tug facility, Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam.
Damen will now paint the tug in Alfons Håkans colours and make a number of modifications to its standard design to meet the company’s requirements. After this, in early June, the vessel will depart Vietnam on its own keel for Finland, where it is scheduled to arrive in September.
Damen regional Sales Manager Martin Verstraaten said, “It is a pleasure to be working with Alfons Håkans once again. As family businesses, our two companies share a similar culture and values. This, coupled with our long-standing relationship based on trust, has made our discussions about this vessel both efficient and enjoyable.
“The ASD Tug 3413 ICE is an exemplary vessel at the top of its class. I am confident that it will make a positive contribution to Alfons Håkans’ fleet capabilities when we deliver it later this year.”
The sister vessel, ASD Tug 3413 ICE Victoria operated by the Port of Luleå, was nominated for the Tug of the Year Award at this year’s International Tug and Salvage conference.
