PORT Otago’s new Damen 2312 ASD tug Ōtepoti arrived at Port Chalmers this morning [12 February] after a journey of just over a month from Zhangjiagang, China, via a bunker and supplies stop at Palau.
The tug was ordered last year to replace the 21-yo Otago which was sold to Australia’s Engage Marine and is now operational at Geelong.
At the time of the order Port Otago chief executive Kevin Winders said the new tug was part of the port’s infrastructure strategy to be New Zealand’s “always open” port and capable of handling the biggest ships visiting the country.
“Initial modelling showed our current channel design and 14-metre depth was sufficient to transit a 10,000 TEU container vessel from the Otago heads through to Port Chalmers.
“However, to manoeuvre the vessel in the swing basin and onto the 430-metre main container berth, the Multipurpose Wharf, required two 70-tonne bollard-pull tugs.”
The decision was made to sell Otago and purchase a second 70-tbp Damen tug to operate with Taiaroa. Alongside the capability advantages, the upgrade also reduces the tug fleet’s maintenance risk and provides a better carbon outcome, Port Otago said.
The Damen tug’s modern Euro 6 diesel engine uses a third less fuel as Otago, an improvement borne out during the delivery voyage as Ōtepoti was able to skip a planned fuel stop in Noumea.
The tug arrives just as Port Otago last week saw the first call by MSC’s Wallaby service, providing Lower South Island exporters and importers with a new weekly shipping option to and from Australia, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Separately, Port Otago has signed a 35-year lease on its dairy export warehouse and sold the associated logistics operations to Fonterra.
“D Shed” on Back Beach Road, Port Chalmers, is a 34,200 square metre warehouse and 12,000 square metre yard used for packing Fonterra Edendale product for export. Now the site is in Fonterra charge, it will be known as “Fonterra Port Chalmers” and operate as a pack point for the cooperative, allowing it to run the site as another of its nationwide in-house distribution centres.