Solent Towage Limited, a UK subsidiary of Østensjø Rederi AS has been awarded a 15 year contract by Esso Petroleum Company Limited to provide Waterborne Services at the Fawley Marine Terminal at Southampton, UK.
The value of the contract is about GBP 62 million. This contract follows two previous consecutive contract periods which commenced in 1993. The tug fleet includes two of the most sophisticated Voith Schneider escort and ship handling tugs in Europe, Apex and Phenix. The tugs have a bollard pull of 70 tonnes each. The tug design was developed in close cooperation between Robert Allan and Østensjø Rederi AS.
In the escort role the vessels can generate steering and braking forces of 150 tonnes at 10 knots. The entire fleet, including the ASD terminal tug Thrax and tug / line handlers Asterix and Ibex, are registered under the British flag. All tugs are equipped for fire fighting to FiFi1 standards and pollution control operations.