SAAM Towage Expands Fleet with Two New Tugboats for Chile and Peru Operations

SAAM Towage, the largest towage service provider in the Americas, has announced the addition of two new tugboats to its fleet. The new vessels, named SAAM Petrel and SAAM Charrán, were designed by Robert Allan Ltd. and constructed at the Sanmar shipyard in Turkey.
Continuing a company tradition of naming vessels after regional seabirds, SAAM Petrel and SAAM Charrán draw their names from birds native to the coastal regions of Chile and Peru. This naming practice dates back to the company’s founding over six decades ago.
According to SAAM Towage’s Chile-Peru Country Manager, Cristián Cifuentes, the acquisition forms part of the company’s ongoing investment plan aimed at enhancing operational capacity and service coverage across both countries.
The SAAM Petrel is currently en route to the Port of Arica in Chile. It is equipped with an IMO Tier III certified emissions control system, making it the first tug in Chile’s fleet to feature this technology for reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. Meanwhile, the SAAM Charrán has already arrived at the Port of Callao in Peru and is preparing to begin operations.
Both vessels are certified under the Fire Fighting 1 (FiFi 1) standard and are intended to provide terminal support services, including vessel berthing and deberthing assistance.
The inclusion of these two tugs brings the average age of SAAM Towage’s fleet in Chile and Peru to 13 years, with a consistent bollard pull of 65 metric tons.
Technical Specifications
Each tug measures 24.4 meters in length and 12 meters in width. They are powered by 2,350 kW Caterpillar engines operating at 1800 revolutions per minute, delivering a bollard pull of 80 metric tons and a top speed of 13 knots. Featuring the Ramparts 2500SX MKII design, the vessels are suited for operations in confined port environments, offering maneuverability and versatility in assisting large ships.