Albwardy Damen, a joint venture between Dubai-based Albwardy Investments and Damen Shipyards Group, a leading repair yard headquartered in the Netherlands, recently hosted a naming ceremony for the worlds biggest Rotortug, the ART 100-46 RT Raven, in Sharjah, UAE.
The vessel will be operated by Perth-based KT Maritime Services Australia, a joint venture partnership between Kotug International BV and Teekay Shipping Australia.
The ceremony was attended by the pioneer of the Rotortug design, Ton Kooren, along with Kotug CEO Ard-Jan Kooren. Representing Damen was CCO Arnout Damen and MD of Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld Jos van Woerkum.
The naming ceremony of the RT Raven, held last week was combined with the christening of the tug by long standing ConocoPhillips Australia employee Chantelle Birtwistle; currently the JV Manager for the Bayu Undan Project.
The Infield Support Vessel (ISV) RT Raven is built to a Robert Allen design. She is a customised 46m long, DP2, 100-tonne bollard-pull Rotortug for offshore support. She is designed and outfitted for operations in the Timor Sea, 500km north-west of Darwin and 250km south of East Timor.
RT Raven has been specifically designed to meet the fields unique marine service requirements which include tanker berthing and operations support, including emergency response.
Ard-Jan Kooren, said: This is a very significant contract for KT Maritime as we work towards further establishing ourselves as a reputable service provider to the oil and gas segment.
Lars Seistrup, the managing director of Albwardy Damen, said: “This is a special vessel in many ways. It is the biggest Rotortug ever built, it is also one of the most powerful tugs ever built in the UAE. We are very pleased with the end result which is the consequence of close cooperation and teamwork with the client.”
Jos van Woerkum, the managing director of Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld, commented: “The RT Raven is the sixth Robert Allan Rotortug design which is sold, managed, engineered and purchased by our yard in Hardinxveld. The vessels are built at the Damen yards in Gdansk, Poland and Sharjah. For Kotug it is the third Rotortug delivered by Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld, after the ART 80-32 RT Evolution and the RT Emotion, and we are very proud of this achievement.
Damen Shipyards Group operates 33 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 9,000 people worldwide. Damen has delivered more than 6,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers some 180 vessels annually to customers worldwide.
It offers a wide range of products, including tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons, and super-yachts.