Edison Chouest to Build 13 Damen Tugs Following Texas, Alaska Contract Wins

An illustration of the Damen ASD 3212 design. Credit: Damen Group

Louisiana-based Edison Chouest Offshore is building 13 Damen-designed heavy duty mooring assistance and escort tugs in response to two major contract wins in Texas and Alaska.

The 13 tugs will be constructed at ECO’s shipyards under Damen’s technical supervision.

For the first contract is one ECO won earlier this year with a new Corpus Christi based LNG export terminal. The agreement calls for the supply of four escort tugs with a bollard pull of 80 tonnes to operate at this new LNG terminal in Texas, which is currently under construction. The Damen tugs will be of the escort/mooring ASD 3212 design.

More recently, ECO has won a high profile, long term contract in Alaska, which Crowley has held since 1990. Under the contract, ECO will be taking over the ship escort-response duties out of Valdez, Prince William Sound, from July 2018, For the contract ECO will require nine, high-powered escort tugs, which be comprised of four ASD 3212 tugs with a bollard pull of 70 tonnes each and five ASD 4517 tugs with a bollard pull of 150+ tonnes. Damen notes that the latter will be the most powerful ASD tugs ever built, and specifically designed for the often challenging weather conditions in the Prince William Sound.

“Chouest was pleased to have this opportunity to take Damen’s proven hull design and helped create a new, state-of-the-art escort design representing the most powerful ASD tug ever designed or built,” said Gary Chouest, President/CEO of Edison Chouest Offshore.

The contract for the tugs was handled by Damen’s new Area Support office in Houston, Texas, which was just recently opened August 1. The opening of the office marks the Dutch shipbuilding group’s first foray into the United States market. In the three months since its opening, Damen has already won orders for the construction of 27 tugs at four different U.S. shipyards.

Unlock Exclusive Insights Today!

Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.

Sign Up