French towage group Thomas Services Maritimes (TSM) has welcomed azimuth stern drive (ASD) tug TSM Odet to its operations in the south of France to meet rising demand for both handling ships in harbours and sea towage
Damen Shipyards built TSM Odet to its ASD Tug 2811 design with 60 tonnes of bollard pull at the Damen Song Cam shipyard in Vietnam and it sailed on its own keel during a voyage of more than 50 days to start operations at the Port of Sète on the French Mediterranean coast, 21 June.
TSM Odet has Caterpillar main engines and Kongsberg thrusters, a deck crane and a FiFi1-class fire-fighting system. It has a winterisation package with the heating and venting using excess heat from the engines
TSM Odet is also equipped with a digital alarm, monitoring and control system, which integrates data from all systems on board, including sensors and controls. This remote monitoring enables TSM to optimise fleet performance and efficiency.
Rouen, France-headquartered TSM needed a tug with a higher bollard pull than existing tugs in the Port of Sète as the port expands. TSM will employ TSM Odet in harbour and terminal operations and sea towage in the Mediterranean.
The port in the Languedoc-Roussillon region is a hub for bulk and general cargo, and ferry departures in southern France and is becoming a port of call for cruise ships.
TSM owns and operates 25 vessels in the French ports of Dieppe, Rouen, Brest, Bordeaux and Sète and expanded its fleet in 2021 with two Damen-built and designed reverse stern drive tugs TSM Rouen and TSM Honfleur for its Normandy port operations.
