KotugSmit Bags Long-Term Towage Deals with MOL

Japanese shipping major Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has signed long-term towage agreements with Kotug Smit Towage (KotugSmit) effective early 2017.

As disclosed, the agreements cover MOL’s container, tanker, dry-bulk and car carrier divisions, and relate to the ports of Rotterdam, Antwerp, Ghent, Terneuzen, Flushing, Bremerhaven, Hamburg, London and Southampton. 

“With this strategic partnership, both organizations aim to boost their operational performance by benefiting from smart collaboration and sharing operational knowledge and valuable information,” a joint press statement said.

“This partnership embodies many years of mutual trust and shared values in terms of loyalty, commitment and goodwill. The strong relationship between both our organizations at all levels, from global headquarters, across different divisions to the operational levels in local ports, resulted in a good dialogue about optimization of operational performance and efficiency,” Masao Fukushima, Chief Executive Representative, Europe and Africa of MOL said.

 “This partnership with MOL underlines our principle, believing that harbor towage is about professional cooperation between all people involved,” KotugSmit’s CEO René Raaijmakers commented.

KotugSmit was established in April 2016 through the merger of the European harbour towage activities of KOTUG International and Smit, a daughter company of Boskalis, setting as their focus the European markets. The company’s fleet features 64 tugs.