In view of the World Seafarer Day with this year’s theme Empowering Women in the Maritime Community, Borneo Bulletin devoted an article to the female cadets on board our vessels in Brunei. At KOTUG International we encourage and celebrate diversity and inclusivity and are very proud of all the women we have on board our vessels and in our offices worldwide!

We gladly embrace the #IAmOnBoardCampaign initiated by the International Maritime Organization.

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Kotug is proud to have won the ‘Autonomous & Remote Operations Award’ for her focus on true technical innovation. The jury of industry experts has awarded the prize for Kotug’s Remote Controlled sailing–project, which was one of three shortlisted projects. The purpose of the award is to draw more attention to research work, that often stays unrecognized by the wider industry. This award is part of the Marine Propulsion Award 2019, and was presented at the Sulphur Cap 2020 Conference and Exhibition on 8 May in Amsterdam.

This award is a recognition for the research done to make autonomous tug sailing possible. This will improve the safety and efficiency of the tug operation in general, especially in areas dealing with dangerous goods and oil & gas products. In 2018 two successful tests have been conducted by Tug Training & Consultancy, a professional tug training and world-leading towage expertise provider.

Kotug believes that unmanned remote controlled ships will be the first step to ultimately unmanned autonomous shipping; various simple operations in remote locations can already be done from remote controlled stations.

The unmanned sailing operation is a joint industry project that has been realized with the following stakeholders:

• KOTUG International
• Rotortug B.V.
• OnBoard
• M2MBlue part of Wireless Logic
• Alphatron Marine
• Veth Propulsion

KOTUG International BV and Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V., 50/50 shareholders of Kotug Smit Towage, intend to sell their shares to Boluda Group (Boluda).

By partnering with Boskalis’ subsidiary SMIT in 2016, KOTUG strengthened its presence in 11 ports in 4 European countries. The integration of businesses led to further growth, synergy and smarter towage operations.
Shipping alliances are expected to continue to impact the European harbour towage industry. KOTUG believes that further consolidation of businesses will enable Kotug Smit Towage to adequately respond to this development.

Boluda offers a geographically strong and highly complementary European portfolio. Vicente Boluda Marí started towage operations in Valencia in 1920. The family business conquered the Spanish and French market and continued to expand internationally. As a family-owned company, KOTUG feels Boluda is best positioned to add value to the existing European towage business.

KOTUG CEO Ard-Jan Kooren: “KOTUG will continue to expand its maritime and towage related activities worldwide. I am confident that this development will unlock new opportunities to further strengthen our growth and allow us to offer operational excellence and innovation to our customers.”

The final agreement is subject to satisfactory due diligence and regulatory approvals from the respective national authorities involved. Closing is scheduled for the second half of 2019.

12-11-2018

KPM awarded a long term contract  by Arab Petroleum Pipelines Company SUMED

Leading global towage company KOTUG International BV has signed an agreement with Petroconsult to create a joint venture company called KPM. The partnering companies have  been awarded a long term contract with SUMED to provide operational services and carry out towage operations including FSRU operations at their Ain Sukhna terminal located in the Red Sea, Egypt.

KOTUG provides SUMED with two newly built state of the art 80 tons Rotortugs to carry out these operations.

 The newly formed company KPM is owned for 80% by KOTUG and for 20% by Petroconsult and is established in Egypt with its headquarters in Alexandria, Egypt. The company’s mission is to provide maritime services to Egypt’s oil, gas and other terminals, ports to improve the quality of services. KPM will combine KOTUG’s knowledge and leadership skills with Petroconsult’s strong local footprint and experience in the region. KPM is deploying two tugboats to execute the services to SUMED. In line with KOTUG’s aspiration to support local content both tugboats will be operated by native Egyptians supported by local shore staff.

The long term cooperation with SUMED demonstrates the strength of this new partnership.

Ard-Jan Kooren, CEO of KOTUG International: “We are looking forward to cooperate with Petroconsult and to start activities with our new partner in a familiar sector in the Middle East. The partnership represents a strong alliance between two industry experts. KPM aims to leverage the impressive reputation, experience, technology, and practical “know how” of KOTUG International and Petroconsult.” Petroconsult is one of the oldest oil and gas services and engineering companies in Egypt and an experienced provider of offshore & marine services in Egypt.

The tugs have commenced services in October 2018.

More information about Ain Sokhna

04-10-2018

Minister of Water Management visits KOTUG’s unique joint industry project: remote controlled fire fighting & remote controlled tugboat sailing

Kotug demonstrates the combination of remote controlled tugboat sailing with the RT Borkum and remote controlled fire fighting at the Innovation Expo 2018 in Rotterdam. Minister Cora Van Nieuwenhuizen, of Infrastructure and Water Management, visits RT Borkum and KOTUG’s unique joint industry project : A captain of KOTUG takes over the control of the tug via a remote secured internet line and camera images, and extinguished a ‘fire’ on a close by jetty.

KOTUG believes that unmanned remote controlled ships will be the first step to ultimately unmanned autonomous shipping. An enormous benefit of remote controlled sailing and fire fighting is the improvement of the safety. Various simple operations in remote locations can already be done from remote controlled stations.

Kotug uses its Rotterdam simulator for further testing of unmanned operation tasks. The real time sensor technology makes it possible to give the remote control captain the situational awareness that is needed for safe operation. Combined with the drone technology to connect the towline, unmanned shipping is commercially and technically getting closer.

Unmanned shipping does not yet comply with current rules and regulations. Therefore, rules need to be amended before tugs can actually start doing their tasks fully autonomous.

This demo project is a joint industry project sponsored by the stakeholders mentioned below.

Again, there was no external subsidy used.

Alphatron :       Camera visualization and system integration in the consoles

KOTUG :           Project management and supported MAROF student with Thesis “Remote controlled tug boat “

KPN :                providing data sim cards for stable 4G internet connection

M2M Blue:        Stable data connection with VPN tunnel (4G and LAN connection combined)

OnBoard :        conversion of the steering and engine control signal to internet protocol and vice versa

Rotortug:         Owner of the RT Borkum

Veth :               Steering and engine control system to take over from local console to remote control and vice versa

26-06-2018

Kotug demonstrates the sailing  of the first remote controlled tugboat over a long distance today. The RT Borkum was controlled from the International Tug, Salvage & OSV Convention and Exhibition (ITS) ITS in Marseille, while the RT Borkum was sailing in Rotterdam. A captain of KOTUG took over the control of the tug via a remote secured internet line and camera images. These cameras and controls of the tugboat were used on the demo consoles in Marseille. This project is a joint industry project by the sponsors mentioned below. There was no external subsidy used.

KOTUG believes that unmanned remote controlled ships will be the first step to ultimately unmanned autonomous shipping. Various simple operations in remote locations can already be done from remote controlled stations. Kotug uses its Rotterdam simulator for further testing of unmanned operation tasks. The real time sensor technology makes it possible to give the remote control captain the situational awareness that is needed for safe operation. Combined with the drone technology to connect the towline, unmanned shipping is commercially and technically getting closer.

Unmanned shipping does not yet comply with current rules and regulations. Therefore, rules need to be amended before tugs can actually start doing their tasks fully autonomous.

Stakeholders that contributed to this demo project  :

Alphatron :       Camera visualization and system integration in the consoles

KOTUG :           Project management and supported MAROF student with Thesis “Remote controlled tugboat “

KPN :                providing data sim cards for stable 4G internet connection

M2M Blue:        Stable data connection with VPN tunnel (4G and LAN connection combined)

OnBoard :        conversion of the steering and engine control signal to internet protocol and vice versa

Rotortug:         Owner of the RT Borkum

Veth :               Steering and engine control system to take over from local console to remote control and vice versa

5-4-2018

KOTUG Australia (KOTUG) and Teekay Shipping Australia Pty Ltd. (Teekay) have successfully concluded a deal in order to re-shape KT

Maritime Services Australia Pty Ltd. (KTM) from a 50/50 joint venture to a full subsidiary of the KOTUG group.

After several years of working with KOTUG to successfully establish this business, Teekay has decided to exit KTM to focus on its core Australian ship management, crewing and consultancy businesses. By acquiring Teekay’s stake, KOTUG aims to optimize its existing operations and to provide room for significant growth. Both companies will work together during a transition period to restructure the new company set-up.

The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of both parent companies and was executed in the first week of April 2018. The transition is scheduled to be finalized on 1 July 2018.

KTM was incorporated in 2012 allowing parent companies KOTUG and Teekay to combine expert industry know-how and operational best practices in the continuous growing Australian towage market.

KTM provides all towage operations for Shell’s Prelude FLNG, as well as towage assistance at ConocoPhillips’ Bayu Undan FSO, for which it employs four Infield Support Vessels (ISVs). All vessels are owned by the KOTUG group.

KOTUG’s CEO Ard-Jan Kooren: “We thank Teekay for the professional and pleasant cooperation in the past years. Together with our motivated office staff and crew, and with our existing Australian port towage business and the Emergency Towing Vessel chartered out to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, we are capable to drive the business to the next level.”

Teekay’s Executive Vice President, Strategic Development, William Hung: “Given KOTUG’s long international history of tug operations and ownership of the four vessels servicing KTM’s existing business, the transition to full ownership by KOTUG will simplify KTM’s governance and operating structure. With the start-up of KTM’s contracts with Shell and ConocoPhillips, we believe this is the right time for Teekay to refocus on our core Australian business.”