Boluda Towage has deployed a new 60-tonne bollard pull tug at the Port of Le Port, La Réunion, adding Harbour towage capacity at the Indian Ocean gateway as maritime traffic through the French island territory continues to grow.

The vessel, named VB Audace, entered service in mid-September. Damen Song Cam, the Vietnamese shipyard within the Damen Shipyards group, built the tug to the Damen ASD 2811 design. The azimuth stern drive platform is one of the workhorse harbour tug classes in global towage, and the newbuild completed its first assignments shortly after arriving on the island.

The numbers behind the deployment matter for port operations at Le Port. VB Audace delivers an engine output of 5,102 hp and a bollard pull of 60 tonnes — specifications that allow the vessel to perform a wide range of harbour towage operations, from assisting container ships and bulk carriers to supporting berthing and unberthing manoeuvres at the port's quays.

Christophe C. P. Picard, Managing Director of Boluda La Réunion, framed the addition as a fleet completion rather than a marginal reinforcement. "VB Audace will strengthen and complete the fleet in service for the port," Picard said.

Commercial Context

For shippers and carriers calling at La Réunion, the arrival of a modern 60-tonne-pull tug translates into more reliable and flexible towage cover. Harbour towage capacity directly constrains how quickly vessels can be turned around at berth, and any gap in tug availability can delay sailing schedules — a critical factor for an island market that depends almost entirely on sea freight for imports and exports.

Boluda Towage said the deployment will increase its capacity to support growing maritime traffic and port operations in La Réunion. That positioning signals the operator's intent to keep pace with demand as volumes through Le Port rise, rather than simply replacing ageing tonnage.

For Boluda, one of the world's largest towage operators, the investment extends a strategy of fleet renewal and regional reinforcement across its global network. Standardised Damen designs such as the ASD 2811 allow the group to deploy proven, interoperable tonnage across distant markets — from Europe to the Indian Ocean — with predictable maintenance and crew training profiles.

What It Means For The Port

Le Port is the main commercial gateway for La Réunion, handling the container, breakbulk and tanker traffic that serves the island's economy. Towage capacity at the port must scale with vessel calls, and a 60-tonne-pull tug matches the assist requirements of the mid-sized ships typically deployed on services connecting the island with mainland France, Asia and regional Indian Ocean trade routes.

The addition of VB Audace gives Boluda La Réunion a deeper bench of modern tugs, reducing the risk that a single vessel outage or a surge in simultaneous calls leaves ships waiting for assistance. For liners and forwarders routing cargo through the island, that operational buffer supports schedule integrity at a port where towage is a fixed dependency of every call.

The tug's rapid entry into service — completing its first assignments shortly after arrival — also indicates a smooth delivery and commissioning process from Damen Song Cam, the Vietnamese yard that has become a key production site for Damen's compact tug range.

Looking ahead, Boluda's stated rationale — supporting growing maritime traffic and port operations in La Réunion — suggests further fleet investment could follow if cargo volumes through Le Port continue on their upward trajectory.