News

Tunisia’s Office of the Merchant Marine and Ports (OMMP) has initiated a major investment plan for the renewal and enhancement of its national tugboat fleet in order to improve safety, port efficiency, and maritime assistance capacities across Tunisian commercial ports.

1. Acquisition of Six New ASD Tugboats

The OMMP has officially ordered six new ASD (Azimuth Stern Drive) tugboats, built by the Turkish shipyard Med Marine, for a global investment of approximately 168 million TND (around 50 million Euros).

These units are equipped with advanced navigation, firefighting, and pollution-control technologies, and are intended to support vessel maneuvering operations in all Tunisian ports.

2. Delivery of the First Units

• The first tugboat, Bulla Regia, has been officially received by the OMMP and assigned to the port of La Goulette.
• The second unit, named El Jem, arrived at the commercial port of Zarzis on 3 November 2025 and has been put into service.

Both tugboats are designed with a bollard pull capacity exceeding 60 tonnes, a length of approximately 28 meters, and a service speed of 12 knots, allowing efficient support for ship maneuvers and emergency response operations.

3. Remaining Deliveries

The remaining four tugboats are currently under construction and will be delivered progressively before the end of January 2026, according to the OMMP’s official communication.

4. Strategic Purpose

This modernization program aims to:

• strengthen navigational safety in Tunisian ports;
• enhance response capacity for salvage, towing, and firefighting operations;
• improve the environmental protection framework and pollution-control capability;
• support port efficiency and reduce turnaround time for commercial vessels.
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Information provided by Budd Tunisia (budd.tunisia@budd-pni.com), your partner in all Tunisian ports.