Advanced New Tugboat Joins Ashdod Maritime Transport Fleet

A new tugboat arrived in Israel today, bringing the number of tugboats operating in the ports of Ashdod and the South to five. The new tugboat, named 'Almog', is a VECTRA model, with a pulling and pushing capacity of 73 tons bollard pull, and is considered the most advanced in the world. The cost of purchasing and adapting the tugboat to the port's needs is about 12.5 million euros.

Transport Minister Miri Regev said, "We welcome the arrival of the new and advanced tugboat, which will meet the needs of Ashdod Port and the South Port. As part of the regulation process in the ports led by the Ministry of Transport, we will continue to invest in improving service in the ports, increasing the rate of goods handling, strengthening the economy and reducing the cost of living for all Israeli citizens."

The acting CEO of Israel Ports Company, Tiko Gadot, said, "In the coming year, we are expected to see more and more ships docking at the ports, and a new tugboat will help reduce the waiting times of the ships. The tugboat will be another part of the overall preparation for equipping with the vital operational equipment in the ports at the highest and accepted standards in the world."

The CEO of Ashdod Maritime Transport, Avichai Hattuca, said, "The 'Almog' tugboat constitutes a significant strengthening of the company's ability to cope with the entry of giant ships into the Ashdod port basin, thus the company completes its procurement and equipping process in the field of tugboats."