KEPPEL PHILIPPINES MARINE, INC. (KPMI) has delivered harbor tugboat MV Salalah 23 days ahead of schedule to its Omani owner, Salalah Port Services Co. (SPSC), at Keppel Batangas Shipyard.
SPSC Harbor Master captain Ahmed Abdullah Ba’Omar said the newbuilt will serve as the ambassador of KPMI’s shipbuilding capability not only in the Port of Salalah but also in the other areas of Oman. "It will be one of the best vessels providing towage service in the area," he noted.
The twin screw azimuth stern drive tugboat, which measures 28.90 meter long and 9 meter wide, is built to LRS +100A1 +LMC Tug (Fire Fighting Capability) classification standards. Powered by 2 x 1800 PS Niigata main engines driving a twin-screw Niigata ZP-21 propulsion system, the tugboat is capable of a bollard pull up to 45 tons and a service speed up to 12 knots.
Geerd Guenther, Marine manager of SPSC, expressed satisfaction with the vessel. "We have looked far and wide in the Far East region for a shipyard to build our vessel and we found it at Keppel Batangas Shipyard," he said.
