The company has once again chosen the ASENAV shipyard to build a new vessel, further strengthening their partnership and helping to boost the local economy and the growth of the local shipbuilding industry.
May 20, 2026 | SAAM Towage announced the construction of a new state-of-the-art tugboat by the Chilean shipyard ASENAV, reaffirming its commitment to the local shipbuilding industry. This new vessel joins the tug ordered earlier this year, furthering the strategic partnership between the two companies.
The vessel is a 32-meter-long Robert Allan RAstar 3200W design with a bollard pull of over 80 tons. Its propulsion engines feature an emissions control system compliant with IMO Tier III environmental regulations, FF1 firefighting certification and Escort Tug certification, characterized by its high indirect bollard pull capacity at speeds of up to 10 knots. In addition, it will have safety equipment for operations at specialized LNG terminals.
This tugboat, along with the first one commissioned from Asenav, will bolster SAAM Towage’s fleet in Canada, a high-growth market committed to sustainability.
“This project not only allows us to continue building a modern, efficient and sustainable fleet capable of serving the most demanding markets, but it also demonstrates that decentralization and local talent are key drivers in establishing our global leadership. We currently operate in twelve countries in the Americas, and our goal is to continue growing,” said SAAM’s CEO, Hernán Gómez.
Strategic Overview of the Domestic Sector
ASENAV CEO Fernando Rodríguez noted that “this partnership reflects a shared long-term vision to strengthen the capabilities of the Chilean shipbuilding industry and move toward a more competitive maritime ecosystem. For this reason, initiatives such as the National Shipbuilding Policy and AFIDE serve as strategic tools for driving the sector’s development. The ongoing nature of joint projects demonstrates that, when private sector actors collaborate with a focus on innovation and national development, it is possible to achieve concrete results that have a significant impact on our country and its maritime industry.”
The executive also noted that the shipyard’s Project 196 is a speculative build that forms part of the company’s strategy to respond more nimbly to opportunities in the global market. “Having a unit in an advanced stage of construction allows us to offer immediate solutions to harbour operators in the Americas, Europe or Asia who need to expand their operational capacity on short notice,” he said.
With this second vessel, SAAM Towage and ASENAV are highlighting the importance of decentralization, local development and the capabilities of the Chilean shipbuilding industry, thereby strengthening an enterprise reaching the world from Valdivia.
