As of October, a full 24/7 towage service, supported by KOTUG’s local management, is available to assist the clients at the Oil and Gas Terminals on the River Thames and the London Gateway Container Terminal. In co-operation with ship managers, terminal operators, local agencies and its own representatives, KOTUG is delighted to be in a position to offer its innovative services combining the skills of its highly trained and dedicated UK crews with a sophisticated and modern fleet of powerful Rotor®Tugs and ASD Tugs.

On the River Thames KOTUG is utilising two powerful 80+ ton bollard pull Rotor®Tugs, RT Leader and RT Champion and will add two 65+ azimuth stern drive tugs. Depending on the workload, KOTUG is able to expand the local fleet with more tugs.
The principal advantage of the revolutionary Rotor®Tugs is their remarkable manoeuvrability, provided by three azimuth propulsion units, making it the safest way to tow in confined areas, and especially in challenging tidal and weather conditions. Due to the configuration of the three azimuth propulsion units, the bollard-pull of these tugs is maintained at an almost 100% level in any direction the tug is operating. Due to the Rotor®Tug’s excellent manoeuvrability and power, in many cases, fewer tugs are needed per ship assistance.

KOTUG vessels performed their first duty on the Thames on 30th October when the 462gt/2011 built RT Champion assisted the 11,935gt/2002 built tanker vessel StenIdun to the Oikos Jetty, London. The tugs also assisted the first container ship to make a scheduled call at London Gateway on 7th November, the day the terminal opened. The ship in question was the 58,289gt/2005 built MOL Caledon.

Incidentally rival container terminal London Thamesport has gained the last remaining MacAndrews & Company Limited (a wholly owned subsidiary of CMA CGM) service to Tilbury. The 750 TEU capacity and 6,901gt/2004 built Canopus J (operating on the Bilbao-UK service of MacAndrews) made her first scheduled call there on 10th November.