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New tug order supports 2030 investment plan
SAAM Towage has ordered five new tugboats from Türkiye’s Sanmar Shipyards as the Americas towage operator continues a fleet renewal and investment programme running through 2030.
The agreement, announced on May 20, adds another chapter to a long supplier relationship between the two companies. Sanmar has already built 13 tugboats for SAAM, giving the latest order the feel of a repeat customer returning to a yard it knows well rather than a one off procurement decision.
For port operators, shippers and vessel owners, the order matters because tug availability and capability remain central to safe harbour movements. A port can have deep water, cranes and berth space, but without enough powerful harbour tugs, ship calls become harder to manage. In that sense, towage is often the unseen hinge on which port reliability turns.
Vessels bound for Latin American markets
The five tugs will be phased into SAAM Towage operations in Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia and Chile. The company said the vessels form part of its wider plan to strengthen its fleet and support customer growth across the markets where it operates.
SAAM Chief Executive Hernán Gómez said the agreement was “part of a long term roadmap to continue strengthening our fleet and supporting our customers’ growth in the various markets where we operate.”
He added that each tug is designed for a specific operational need and will provide “safe, reliable and high quality service.”
The vessels were designed by Robert Allan and will be fitted with Firefighting 1 capability, Kongsberg azimuth thrusters and CAT engines. Their bollard pull will range from 70 to 80 tonnes, putting them in the range required for demanding harbour work, including ship assist operations in busy or restricted port areas.
Design points to demanding harbour work
Industry reports indicate that the order includes four RAmparts 2400SX-MKII tugs and one RAstar 2900SX unit. Both designs are associated with azimuth stern drive operations, a common configuration for harbour and escort work where control, turning power and response time are critical.
For cargo interests, that technical detail is not just naval architecture talk. A tug with higher bollard pull and responsive azimuth propulsion can help reduce risk during berth arrivals, departures and tight manoeuvres. That is especially important as ports handle larger ships, more complex schedules and increasing pressure to keep vessel turnaround times under control.
The Firefighting 1 notation also gives the vessels added emergency response capability. In practical terms, it means the tugs can support firefighting operations as well as routine towage. For ports handling fuel, chemicals, project cargo or high value cargo flows, that extra capability can strengthen the overall safety envelope.
Sanmar relationship deepens
The order also reinforces Sanmar’s position as a recurring supplier to SAAM. The Turkish shipbuilder has become one of the more visible names in the global tug construction market, with a portfolio that includes conventional, hybrid and electric tug designs.
SAAM’s continued use of Robert Allan designs through Sanmar suggests a preference for proven platforms that can be adapted to individual port needs. That approach is common in towage procurement. Operators rarely buy tugs as generic assets. They buy them for berths, currents, vessel sizes, turning basins and local operating conditions.
Is a tugboat just a small vessel beside a large ship? In port operations, the answer is clearly no. It is closer to a steering muscle for the wider maritime supply chain, especially when weather, traffic density or restricted water space raises the operational stakes.
Fleet renewal tied to regional growth
SAAM said the newbuilds support its growth strategy through 2030 and its position as a regional towage operator serving the maritime and port industries across the Americas.
The company did not disclose the value of the contract or delivery dates in the announcement. It said the vessels would be gradually added to the fleet, pointing to a staged deployment rather than a single fleet injection.
For Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia and Chile, the new tugs will add modern harbour support capacity at a time when ports across Latin America are under pressure to handle larger vessels, improve reliability and support trade growth. Towage does not always attract the same attention as terminals, cranes or shipping lines, but it remains one of the practical tools that determines whether cargo keeps moving safely through the port gate and across the quay.
