Indian shipbuilder Swan Defence and Heavy Industries (SDHI) has secured an order from towage and marine services provider Svitzer to construct four fuel-efficient tugs, the company announced.

The four vessels are based on the TRAnsverse 3200 design and will be built at SDHI's Pipavav shipyard in Gujarat, India. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in early 2028.

The tug design was jointly developed by Svitzer and Robert Allan Ltd., a renowned Canadian naval architecture firm specializing in tug and workboat design. The vessels are engineered for harbour towage and escort operations.

Each tug will deliver 80 tonnes of bollard pull and is designed to be up to 15% more bunker fuel efficient compared to conventional tug designs. The vessels will also be biofuel-ready, IMO Tier III-ready, and equipped to FiFi1 firefighting-class standards. IMO Tier III compliance refers to the nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions limits set under MARPOL Annex VI for vessels operating in designated Emission Control Areas, reflecting tightening international maritime emissions regulations. The biofuel-ready and fuel-efficiency features also align with broader industry decarbonization efforts, as towage operators face increasing pressure to reduce the carbon intensity of port operations.

Svitzer, which operates a fleet of more than 500 vessels worldwide, said the order forms part of its long-term fleet renewal programme. The company is a subsidiary of A.P. Moller-Maersk and provides towage and marine services across ports and terminals globally.

The contract is valued at approximately $26–78.8 million. The order also represents a notable win for India's commercial shipbuilding sector, which has been working to expand its share of the global shipbuilding market amid competition from established shipbuilding nations in East Asia.

Source: Ship & Bunker