Alexandria Port Authority received the latest addition to its fleet of marine units, the marine tug Mukhtar, which was built by Egyptian hands to be a new addition to the Authority’s capabilities and another step towards raising its operational capabilities and improving the level of marine services provided to ships, as towing operations are one of the main activities in the port and a key element to ensure the safety of navigation for various types of ships, starting from their arrival to the ports of Alexandria and Dekheila until their docking on the docks and then their departure from the port after completing their loading and unloading operations. Major General Ahmed Abdel Moaty Hawash, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Alexandria Port Authority, Major General Hossam El Din Qotb, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alexandria Shipyard Company, and Major General Hesham Safwat, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for Operations, and the specialists from the two parties inspected the tugboat and examined its advanced capabilities, as its compatibility with the latest international systems and with the standards of one of the largest international classification bodies was taken into account, as the tugboat was built in accordance with the classification of the French supervisory body BV. The Mokhtar tugboat is one of the latest marine tugboats and is a strong addition to the Alexandria Port Authority's fleet of tugboats, as it has a pulling force of 70 tons. The tugboat is 35 m long, 11.5 m wide, 6 m draft, and reaches a speed of 12 knots. It is worth noting that this project was started by contracting with the Alexandria Shipyard Company in August 2021. It was built under the supervision of a committee of specialists from the Alexandria Port Authority, especially from the Marine Services Department at the port, which is concerned with managing and operating various marine units and is known for its efficiency, excellence, and professionalism in managing the fleet of marine units of launches and tugboats. The tugboat crew was trained in operation and sailing at the highest level of efficiency, security, and safety. The addition of this tugboat to the port fleet comes within the framework of the authority's constant keenness to raise its operational capabilities and provide the highest quality in its services provided to ships and with the highest level of security and safety, especially since it is scheduled to receive another tugboat with the same specifications from the shipyard company in the near future. In addition, the Alexandria Port Authority, within the framework of its future vision and the expansions it is carrying out, contracted in March of this year with the Egyptian Ship Repair and Building Company to build 3 new tugboats with a pulling force of 70 tons, and they are scheduled to be received in 2028.
