The new delivery is a Ramparts 2200 Class 50 t BP ASD tug built by Robert Allan Ltd, the 8th in the Sanmar series. Initially called Sirapinar VIII, AS PKL Flote was renamed Altair. The 18th sister of the series is currently being developed by Sanmar.
“Sanmar Shipyards’ tugboat series Sirapinar was chosen, among other leading Turkish and European shipbuilders, as the best combination of technical characteristics, high quality and reasonable price. During the tender Sanmar’s commercial and technical team suggested good solutions which were very flexible and quickly adapted to our wishes . . . The schedule was very tight (8 months only) but all stages were completed on schedule," said Sergejs Odincovs, Chairman of the AS PKL Flote.
The vessel will serve in the port of Ventspils, a deep-water port on the east coast of the Baltic Sea that links transiting Russian and Belarusian cargoes such as fertilisers, potassium salt, coal, grain, general cargo, ro-ro and others. The annual capacity of the port is about 20 million tonnes.
PKL Flote, a member of the Alfons Hakans Group, is a Latvian tugboat company specializing in port and sea towage in the Latvian ports of Riga and Ventspils. PKL Flote has six new and strong ASD tugs and the entire company owns and operates more than 50 tugboats, barges and workboats.
Maritime Business World