The third and final new state-of-the-art tug, Svitzer Wilu was welcomed to the Port of Geraldton on Monday evening, joining Svitzer North and Svitzer Abrolhos to form the new fleet.

Following a community naming competition held jointly with Mid West Ports Authority , the vessel Svitzer Wilu was named in recognition of the rich indigenous heritage in the Mid West. ‘Wilu’ is the Aboriginal word for ‘sea, seaside or salt water’ and was received as a nomination in the competition by a community member.

Svitzer Wilu is 30 metres in length, has 70 tonnes of bollard pull and increased safety capabilities with advanced firefighting capabilities on board.

Mid West Ports Authority CEO, Dr Rochelle Macdonald advised “it’s very exciting to welcome the final tug to our fleet. The three new tugs provide an extra level of capability for the Port while assisting ships in heightened weather conditions and in the event of an emergency”.

Svitzer General Manager – West Jodie Ransom said

“Svitzer Australia is very pleased to welcome the arrival of Svitzer Wilu and we look forward to mobilising our new, state of the art fleet in the port of Geraldton and continuing our relationship with Mid West Ports Authority as their towage provider”.

A community competition to name the three tugs was held at the end of 2019. With all three tugs now in Geraldton, MWPA and Svitzer look to announce a naming ceremony where winners will be invited to tour the tugs, very soon.