Pacific Towing Ltd. has taken delivery of two new tugboats worth a combined PGK70 million, strengthening its marine towage and emergency response capabilities in Papua New Guinea and the wider region.
The vessels, PACIFIC RESPONDER and PACIFIC RESOLUTE, were built in Zhenjiang, China, and are the most powerful tugs in PacTow’s fleet, according to the company.
PACIFIC RESPONDER departed China on 11 October and is en route to Port Moresby, where it will primarily support harbour towage operations. PACIFIC RESOLUTE was delivered on 14 October and is expected to leave China by 22 October for deployment in Lae.
The two vessels are azimuthing stern drive (ASD) tugs, with bollard pulls of 70 tonnes and 67 tonnes, respectively. They are equipped with advanced firefighting systems, high-capacity winches and modern propulsion technology to support complex harbour towage, salvage, emergency response and long-distance asset towing.
PacTow said the investment would enable it to assist larger vessels calling at PNG ports, meet the demanding requirements of the oil and gas sector, and pursue higher-value opportunities in regional and international markets.
The additional capacity is also expected to improve fleet availability, expand harbour towage coverage and strengthen emergency response capabilities, providing customers with safer and more reliable marine services.
The delivery marks a milestone in PacTow’s fleet modernisation programme and reinforces its position as a leading marine services provider in Melanesia.
PacTow operates a fleet of 23 vessels and employs more than 250 people. Its services include towage, emergency response, commercial diving, life raft services and salvage.
The company is part of the sea and land logistics group wholly owned by Steamships Ltd.
