The Panama Canal has added two state-of-the-art tugboats to its fleet to enhance operational efficiency and ensure safe, reliable service for global shipping. The tugs The tugs were chartered from Svitzer 🇩🇰 and built by Türkiye’s Med Marine.
During last week’s ceremony at the Amador Cruise dock, the newTRAktor 2600-Z tugs were baptized; “Isla Popa” and “Isla Uva”, each with a length of 25.9 meters, a beam of 12.8 meters, and accommodation for a crew of six. Each tug’s propulsion can deliver a speed of 12 knots and a bollard pull of 65 tons.
They will support vessel movements through the Canal’s most demanding areas, including the Culebra Cut and the Neopanamax locks, where precision and maneuverability are critical.
Chartered from Danish marine services provider Svitzer, the vessels expand the Canal’s operational capacity while preserving financial flexibility. The TRAktor 2600-Z model is internationally recognized for high performance in intensive towage operations.
Svitzer is a global provider of marine and towing services with a presence in more than 140 ports and 40 terminals in 37 countries, hrough a fleet of 446 vessels.
The administrator of the Panama Canal, Ricaurte Vásquez Morales, the deputy administrator of the Canal, Ilya Espino de Marotta; the vice president of Operations Boris Moreno; as well as the general director of Svitzer for the Americas, Arjen van Dijk, participated in the ceremony, among other guests.Â