Damen Delivers New Tug to Maltese Operator

The operator Tug Malta has held a naming ceremony for its latest tug, Med Aldebaran, following its delivery from Damen’s shipyard in Vietnam.

With more than 80 tonnes of bollard pull at its disposal, the tug of Damen RSD Tug 2513 type will add significant strength to the company’s operations in Malta’s Port of Marsaxlokk.

The tug is a compact, maneuverable vessel combining elements of ASD and tractor tugs.

The Med Aldebaran tug has been outfitted with a Damen Marine NOX Reduction System. Also, the tug’s selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system makes its performance compliant with IMO Tier III requirements.

Damen and Tug Malta signed the contract for the vessel in March 2024. Following completion of construction at Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam, the tug sailed to Malta on her own keel, via the Cape of Good Hope.

Med Aldebaran joins a number of Damen tugs in the company’s fleet. This includes ASD Tugs, and another RSD Tug 2513 that Damen delivered in 2021. Since that delivery, Tug Malta has come under the ownership of MSC’s MedTug Group. The group operates a fleet of over 160 tugs in more than 20 major international ports.

“This tug is without any doubt the top technology in its category, as far as performance, safety and security are concerned. I would also like to mention that Med Aldebaran is the first tug in our fleet equipped with IMO Tier III Technology. This represents an important first step for the reduction in the emissions of our fleet according to our commitment to a better world, and to helping achieve the government’s vision for carbon neutrality by 2050,” said Giacomo Gavarone, International Managing Director of MedTug.