Arctia Karhu and Luleå Hamn Ab (Port of Luleå) sign contract for escort towing services
Arctia Karhu Ltd. has signed a contract with Luleå Hamn Ab (Port of Luleå) for escort towing services on Friday, 8 April 2016. The contract extends over the open water season and entails the services of Arctia Karhu’s escort tug Ahto. The contract covers the year 2016 with an option for the open water season 2017.
“This marks the beginning of what we believe to be a long lasting cooperation with Luleå Hamn”, said Tom Ekegren, Managing Director of Arctia Karhu Ltd.
For Luleå Hamn the contract serves as a step in the process of building solutions in support of Project Malmporten. In this development the fairways are dredged to allow larger Panamax and Post Panamax bulk carriers that will need escort tug services. Project Malmporten itself is largely funded through the EU TEN-T MOS mechanism, as Port of Luleå will serve as a core hub for ore shipping along the export transportation corridor for mining industry in northern Sweden and Finland.
Arctia Karhu Ltd. operates harbor icebreaking tugs in the Bay of Bothnia area with a base in Kemi, Finland. The ASD escort tug Ahto is a 40 meter long vessel built in 2014. Ahto will operate both in Tornio, Finland, and Luleå, Sweden, during the season.
Arctia Karhu Ltd. is a subsidiary of Arctia Group with 10 % of the shares owned by Kemin Satama Oy (Port of Kemi).
