Multraship Towage & Salvage held a christening ceremony on Friday, 1 November, to name their newest tug, MULTRATUG 36, in the port of Terneuzen, the Netherlands. The vessel is a Damen ASD Tug 3212. MULTRATUG 36 is the latest delivery from the order of three tugs Multraship placed with Damen to expand its fleet further to meet additional customer and project requirements.
Jacqueline Pey, the spouse of Chris Pey, Multraship’s Senior Commercial Manager, did the honours and wished the tug and her crew fair winds and following seas.
The christening coincided with Multraship’s 40th Anniversary. The Muller family has been involved in towage and salvage since 1911, marking more than 250 years in shipping, with Multraship established in 1984 to provide specialist towage and salvage services.
MULTRATUG 36 is a 32-meter tug designed according to the ASD Tug 3212 specifications, with a bollard pull of maximum 89.5 tonnes. This vessel is intended for deep-sea and coastal towage, salvage, and other operations.
One of the upcoming projects the tug will support is the Princess Elisabeth Island project, which is the world’s first artificial energy island. Located 24 nautical miles off the Belgian coast, this initiative will play a crucial role in Belgium’s energy transition.
“For the Princess Elisabeth Island project, Multraship is responsible for towing and assembling the caissons from Flushing to the island. Each caisson measures 57 meters in length, 30 meters in width, and 30 meters in height, serving as the foundation for the island’s structure. This project requires significant towing capacity, and the MULTRATUG 35 and MULTRATUG 36 have been designated for the task”, Multraship’s Managing Director Leendert Muller said.
Another significant project where Multraship delivers towage and marine support services is the Fehmarnbelt Project. This is Denmark’s largest infrastructure project and the world’s longest immersed tunnel. This 18.2 kilometer long tunnel will connect Denmark and Germany and is expected to open in 2029. Multraship provides seven vessels to the project.
“We are immensely proud to be part of these significant marine infrastructure projects, both of which will not only promote sustainability and the energy transition but also drive the advancement of innovative infrastructure in Europe,” Muller continued.
MULTRATUG 36 has been substantially upgraded to Multraship’s high standards and requirements with a series of options. These include compliance with IMO Tier III requirements. This is achieved with the installation of Damen’s in-house developed Marine NOX Reduction system.
This modular, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system reduces NOX emissions by 80% compared with IMO Tier II requirements. Additionally, Damen has installed the tug with FiFi-1 firefighting systems and has upgraded it for anchor handling and related offshore operations. Crew accommodation space has been enhanced with additional insulation and rubberised to provide greater crew comfort.
Damen Sales Director Benelux Mijndert Wiesenekker said, “On behalf of Damen, we congratulate Multraship on their new vessel and thank them for again placing their trust in Damen. We are confident that MULTRATUG 36 will positively add to the Multraship fleet, contributing to the company’s towage and dedicated project operations.”
“With these new additions to our fleet, we remain committed to providing services of the highest standard. Part of this is ensuring our fleet is equipped always to provide rapid, reliable, and safe operations. We know we can rely on Damen to meet our specifications and deliver high-spec vessels, and we are very pleased to welcome MULTRATUG 36 to our fleet formally,” Muller added.
