With the grace of God, the tugboat “Ras Banas” (ASD) with an 85-ton bollard pull has been successfully launched. Built by Alexandria Shipyard for the Egyptian Navy and supervised by the French Classification Society Bureau Veritas (BV), this significant achievement reflects Alexandria Shipyard’s dedication to excellence.

The launching ceremony was held under the auspices of Admiral Ashraf Ibrahim Attwa, Cheif of the Egyptian Navy and Chairman of the Marine Industries and Services Organization. The ceremony was Hosted by Rear Admiral Hossam El-Din Ezzat Kotb, Chairman of Alexandria Shipyard, and Rear Admiral Ihab Salah, Director-General of the Marine Industries and Services Organization, along with a distinguished delegation from the Egyptian Navy, officials from BV, as well as engineers, technicians, and workers from Alexandria Shipyard.

The “Ras Banas” tugboat is the second unit out of three tugboats being constructed by Alexandria Shipyard for the Egyptian Navy. The third tugboat is scheduled for launcheing by the end of November 2024, with the first tugboat scheduled to join the Egyptian Navy fleet in December 2024.

Notably, these tugboats mark the first fruits of Alexandria Shipyard’s newly launched production line, designed specifically for this advanced tugboat model in collaboration with the renowned Canadian design office, Robert Allan Ltd.

Alexandria Shipyard aims to expand the use of ASD-type tugs across Egypt’s ports, thanks to their competitive pricing—offering at least a 20% reduction compared to currently used tugs, and saving up to 50% in foreign currency costs. Furthermore, the 85-ton bollard pull provides superior maneuverability and control, equipped with top-tier components from global manufacturers such as German MTU engines and deck equipment and propellers from the Norwegian company Kongsberg.

In addition, Alexandria Shipyard seeks to market this ASD model internationally, thereby strengthening Egypt’s export capabilities and increasing sources of foreign currency income, which remains a primary objective for the next phase in our plan.