Neue Schleppdampfschiffsreederei Louis Meyer GmbH & Co. KG of Hamburg has placed an order with Damen Shipyards for the one of the first of its next generation ASD Tug 2111 class. The vessel will be operated on a long-term charter by Emder Schlepp-Betrieb GmbH (ESB) for operations in its home port of Emden, one of the top three ports in Europe for car shipping. There, its shallow draft and compact size together with its over 50 tonnes of bollard pull, make it ideal for manoeuvring large vessels in all respective areas of the port.

This is the third Damen vessel to be purchased by Louis Meyer and the second one for ESB, the first being an ASD Tug 2810 in 2020. The company is in the process of upgrading its tug fleet, which will stand at six vessels once their latest addition becomes operational.

“This contract is special for Damen,” says Damen’s Sales Manager Germany Joschka Böddeling. “The contract signing ceremony took place at the start of September and it marked one of the first sales of our new ASD Tug 2111 class. It is the latest vessel in our Compact Tugs product platform and as well as incorporating all the latest advances in efficiency, reliability and sustainability it is especially suited for agile operations within ports and harbours.” Edvin Kohlsaat, Managing Director of Neue Schleppdampfschiffsreederei Louis Meyer commented on the occasion of the contract signing in Hamburg on 05^th September 2023: “We are very excited about the forthcoming delivery of the new ASD Tug 2111. Its design perfectly matches the needs of our customer. We wish them safe sailings, and prosperous performance. Furthermore, we are very happy to support a greener supply chain with the IMO Tier III Standard”.

Key design features of the ASD Tug 2111 include a 2.4 metre diameter propeller, the large size of which offers increased thrust, and the patented Damen Twin Fin to ensure outstanding course keeping and predictable sailing behaviour during both free sailing and bow to bow operations.

With the ASD Tug 2111 already in series production at Damen Shipyards Changde, ESB will take delivery of its new vessel in the first quarter of 2024 following upgrades to enable winter operations and Tier III emissions compliance.