The Svitzer Balder, built by Uzmar Shipyard, has been awarded the 'Tug of the Year' award as part of the International Tug and Salvage (ITS) 2026 Awards.

The ITS Awards, recognized as one of the leading organizations in the maritime sector, evaluates vessels, operators, and shipyards engaged in towing, salvage, and port operations based on criteria such as safety, innovation, operational performance, and environmental efficiency.

According to information published in international industry publications, the award was announced at the ITS 2026 gala event held in Gothenburg, Sweden. The award was given following a jury evaluation and voting process involving industry representatives and sponsoring organizations within the ITS organization.

According to industry reports from Riviera Maritime and the ITS organization, the Svitzer Balder was built by Uzmar Shipyard for Svitzer and was developed on the Robert Allan Ltd. designed TRAnsverse 3500 platform. The vessel stood out among the finalists due to its hybrid battery-methanol supported propulsion system and high escort towing capacity.

Uzmar Shipyard played a role in the development of next-generation low-emission tugboat technologies by collaborating with Svitzer and Robert Allan in the construction of the vessel.

While numerous international shipowners and shipyards participated in the 'Tug of the Year' category at ITS 2026, the Svitzer Balder was awarded the first prize as a result of the jury evaluation and industry voting.

Source: SeaNews Türkiye