CORIMA Orders Damen ASD Tug 2810

CORIMA, part of the Italian Gesmar Group, which is one of the leading shipowners in the country and the largest towage operator in the Adriatic Sea, has ordered a Damen ASD Tug 2810.

The Damen ASD Tug 2810, which has a 60 tonnes bollard pull, will be deployed in the port of Ancona. With the official signing ceremony taking place on January 12, the new tug is due to be delivered at the end of the year.

Riccardo Vitiello, CORIMA President and Managing Director Gesmar Group, explains the reasons behind the order. “We already have a Damen ASD Tug 3110 and have always thought Damen is a very good, high quality shipbuilder. We were looking for a harbor tug but also one that is suitable for offshore terminal towage.”

CORIMA serves two offshore oil terminals (owned by API Refinery) so it wanted a tug with good seakeeping behavior to be able to operate in open sea. “We have also seen from other Damen 2810 operators that the tug will be able to do over 60 tonnes bp. Coupled with this she is ideally suited for compact harbors.”

Additionally, Mr Vitiello says, the company was keen to get an ASD Tug because it believes the ideal towing configuration is having an ASD bow first, at the stern of a vessel, and then a tractor tug at the bow.

With FiFi 1, the tug will be Italian flagged and will be used to replace a twin-screw tug.

Fast delivery

Quick delivery times also attracted CORIMA to Damen. The vessel is due to be delivered before the end of the year. “We know that Damen will completely respect the delivery time.”

Pricing was also a factor, he adds. “Damen is one of the best yards in the world for tugs and certainly when considering the lifetime of a vessel prices are competitive.”

Andrea Trevisan, Damen Regional Sales Manager, comments: “We are truly delighted to be working with such a renowned and respected Italian shipowner again after 13 years. The Gesmar Group is one of the largest Italian tug owners. At the company’s head office in Ravenna several awards for Operational Excellence are displayed, demonstrating the Group’s commitment to quality. 

“The Damen ASD Tug 2810 is proven in the industry. More than 170 of these compact, powerful tugs are working in ports worldwide. They are known by their captains for their quick acceleration and maneuverability. We are sure that CORIMA will be very satisfied with the tug’s performance in the port of Ancona.”