Newbuild tugs from Turkish shipyards are increasingly built with energy storage systems, hybrid propulsion and exhaust aftertreatment for owners seeking to lower emissions in ports
Turkey is a powerhouse in tug construction with three major shipyards and a few smaller producers of tugboats for domestic, regional and global markets.
In 2025, these shipyards dominated tug construction, especially in producing vessels with emissions-cutting technology on board, such as energy storage systems, hybrid propulsion, engines combusting alternative fuels and exhaust aftertreatment systems.
Many international tug owners have acquired newbuildings from Turkish shipyards in the first 10 months of 2025 to expand their fleets with new escort and harbour tugs built by Sanmar Shipyards, Med Marine and Uzmar.
Svitzer was the biggest recipient of tugboats from Turkish shipyards with eight delivered; Svitzer BarringtonandSvitzer Nobbysfor Australia,Svitzer AwalandSvitzer Manamafor Bahrain,Isla PopaandIsla Uvafor Panama,SvitzerOuezzanein Morocco andSvitzer Ingrid, its first with a large battery module on board, in the strait between Denmark and Sweden.
KotugInternational took delivery of three tugs–SDChatboul,SDDjoudjandSD Rosso – from Uzmar to support LNG exports from BP’s new floating production project on the Mauritania and Senegal maritime border.
SAAM Towage alsoacquiredtwo2024-builttugs and took delivery of the first all-electric tugboat in Latin America following its construction bySanmarShipyards.
Other owners purchasing newbuilds from Turkish shipyards include Ashdod Port, Boluda Towage, Buksér og Berging, Botas, Nemeca, P&O Maritime Logistics, Port Flot Burgas, Rimorchiatori Napoletani and SVS Maritime.
Many of these newbuildings will be profiled in the upcoming Riviera’s TugWorld Annual Review 2025, set to be published in December 2025.
