WMS to build tugboat for Chittagong Port

CHITTAGONG, July 15: Western Marine Shipyard has signed a contract with the Chittagong Port Authority for building a new 25-tonne BP tugboat.
Tugboats are used to guide merchant ships from the outer anchorage to the port and also assist the ships in harbouring.
CPA chairman Nizam Ahmed and managing director of the shipyard Sakhawat Hossain signed the contract on Saturday on behalf of their respective organisations.
Senior officials of the CPA and Western Marine were present during the contract signing in the board room of the port authority.
The contract is valued at Tk 164.5 million. The new tugboat will be having a pulling capacity of 25 tonne BP. The shipyard won the contract as the lowest bidder in an international tender.
The tugboat will operate for Pangaon Inland Container Terminal, built with funding from the CPA.
Western Marin built ships of various types for the Chittagong Port in the past including a 60-tonne capacity tugboat which is expected to be delivered by the end of this month. This is the highest capacity tug in the country.
Such ships used to be imported earlier but Western Marine's expertise in building quality vessels has helped the company secure this order.
Chairman of Western Marine Saiful Islam said his company is proud of contributing to the capacity build-up of the ports by building ships for their use.
Port chairman said quality and proper maintenance of these ships will enhance the port's capacity in the future.