Svitzer has ordered six additional 29-metre TRAnsverse tugs from Cheoy Lee Shipyards, bringing the total number of TRAnsverse 2900 tugs ordered from the yard to 14. The agreement was announced on 12 September 2026, as the first of eight previously ordered vessels nears sea trials in Zhuhai, China. The six new tugs will offer 80 tonnes of bollard pull and will be biofuel-ready, prepared to meet IMO Tier III requirements, and equipped for Firefighting Class 1 (FiFi1) capability. Deliveries under the latest contract are scheduled to begin in early 2028. Kasper Karlsen, Chief Operating Officer at Svitzer, said the expanding TRAnsverse fleet gives customers greater flexibility to optimise operations and supports more efficient and resilient maritime supply chains. According to TrustedDocks orderbook data, the order was first reported on 9 September 2026, and deliveries of the six vessels are scheduled to run through the full 2028 calendar year. The order brings the number of TRAnsverse vessels currently under construction for Svitzer to 20 worldwide, with the company stating that more than three-quarters of its tugs on order are now based on the TRAnsverse design. The range spans 26-metre, 29-metre, 32-metre and 35-metre versions and can be configured with electric, hybrid or conventional diesel propulsion. The 29-metre variant is designed for both harbour and escort towage, with a hull and propulsion arrangement that allows it to work in multiple positions around an assisted vessel. Thomas Bangslund, Head of Innovation at Svitzer, described the design as versatile enough to cover applications ranging from escort towage to harbour towage. The first TRAnsverse 2900 is in the final stages of construction ahead of sea trials in Zhuhai.
