MED MARINE, a leading force in shipbuilding, proudly celebrated a significant milestone on September 2, 2024, with the steel-cutting ceremony for the first of six advanced azimuth stern drive tugs. The ceremony marked the official start of construction for a fleet of six RAstar 2800 series tugs, a project commissioned by The Office of the Merchant Marine and Ports (OMMP) following the signing of the contract in November 2023.
These six RAstar 2800 series azimuth stern drive tugs, designed by the renowned Robert Allan Ltd, will each boast an impressive length of 28 meters. This ambitious project showcases the synergy between MED MARINE’s shipbuilding excellence and OMMP’s forward-thinking vision, underscoring their shared commitment to pioneering maritime solutions.
The ceremony took place at MED MARINE’s Ereğli Shipyard, where a distinguished group of officials from OMMP, MED MARINE, and BUREAU VERITAS were present. Notable attendees from MED MARINE included Mr. Hakan Şen, CEO of MED MARINE; Mr. Kemal Bektaş, General Manager of EREGLI SHIPYARD; Ms. Melis Üçüncü, Business Development Director of MED MARINE; and Mr. Ayhan Akyol, Shipyard Deputy Manager of EREĞLİ SHIPYARD. Among the distinguished attendees from OMMP were Ms. Khaoula Belakhdhar, CEO of OMMP; Mr. Khemaies Ouerfelli, Director of Floating Units at OMMP; Mr. Yasine Guermazi, Chief Engineer of OMMP; Mr. Zouhaier Amara, Chief Engineer of OMMP; and Mr. Ali Labiadh, Advisor to MED MARINE (Engineer).
Additionally, MED MARINE was honored to welcome esteemed guests from local authorities, including Mr. Bülent Eyüpoğlu, Port Manager of Kdz. Ereğli; Mr. Oğuz Ünlüer, Chairman of the Kdz. Ereğli Branch of the Chamber of Shipping; Mr. Arslan Keleş, Chairman of the Kdz. Ereğli Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and Mr. Selçuk Oktay, Chairman of the Alaplı Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
MED MARINE’s CEO, Mr. R. Hakan Şen, conveyed his deep appreciation, remarking, “Today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter with OMMP as we begin the steel-cutting for six 28-meter azimuth stern drive t tugboats. This milestone underscores the strength of our partnership and our shared commitment to excellence and innovation. As we embark on this project, we are crafting vessels that will confidently navigate the seas, strengthening the ties between Türkiye and Tunisia. With each advancement, we remain dedicated to ensuring these vessels meet the highest standards and reflect the enduring legacy of our collaboration.”
The steel-cutting marks the first tangible step in the construction of these new vessels, where innovative ideas begin to take shape in steel. MED MARINE is eager to see this project through to successful completion, delivering six state-of-the-art tugs to OMMP, further cementing their valued partnership.
About OMMP:
The Office of the Merchant Marine and Ports “OMMP” (former Office of National Tunisian Ports “OPNT – Office des Ports Nationaux Tunisiens” and former State Department of Commercial Ports coming under the Ministry of Public Works) was created by virtue of the law n° 65-2 dated February 12th, 1965, modified by the law dated February 15th, 1972. OMMP is a public state establishment endowed with financial autonomy and legal status. As a port authority, the OMMP’s main task is to handle in optimal conditions of lead time, cost and safety the whole of ships and goods passing through the Tunisian ports. The activity fields of the OMMP port chain are characterized by the diversity of maritime traffic, whether line or tramping traffic, handling containers, RO/RO, passengers, cruise passengers.
