Pacific Towing (PacTow), a Melanesian marine companies firm, helps a mean of three,500 vessels yearly in 5 ports in Papua New Guinea, in addition to in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Though port building is PacTow’s core enterprise, the corporate offers a raft of further companies to the delivery business. PacTow additionally performs an necessary position within the area’s maritime security, environmental safety, and extra just lately port improvement.
PacTow’s port towage companies are central to the protected entry and departure of all kinds of home and worldwide vessels calling at Honiara in addition to PNG’s important ports. As such, the corporate is an important pillar of the maritime business, offering important companies and facilitating regional and worldwide commerce. Not solely do cargo ships, bulk carriers, and RORO vessels depend on PacTow’s port towing companies, but additionally cruise ships, cruise liners, and typically gas and LNG tankers.
With a fleet of 20 vessels, PacTow has its tugs (Azimuth Stern Drive and Typical) completely stationed on the varied ports it operates from, together with PNG’s busiest ports of Lae and Port Moresby. Nearly all of its 200+ workers (97 per cent nationalised), in addition to its in-house engineering and workshop departments are positioned at its Port Moresby headquarters and devoted tug base.
“Individuals who aren’t acquainted with the delivery business or tugboat operations usually suppose that serving to ships berth and unberth is all an organization like PacTow does,” says Neil Pepinfs, common supervisor. Neil Pepinfs says. “Nonetheless, tugs have a variety of capabilities and PacTow’s service choices have been very various over its 46-year historical past.”
Not solely has PacTow’s tow service portfolio expanded – their ‘blue water’ capabilities have seen their tug transport ships and barges as far afield as Guam, Micronesia, Indonesia, and Australia (QLD, NT, WA). – However they’ve launched further non. Gear dealing with companies (eg, life raft gross sales and servicing, industrial diving, rescue, emergency response, and a variety of particular presents for oil and gasoline prospects).
PacTow’s rescue and oil spill companies (ie, each mitigation and cleanup) are in rising demand. “There may be extra ship visitors within the area than ever earlier than, and PNG has a quickly rising oil and gasoline business,” explains Papenfus. The corporate has participated in additional than 70 rescue operations over the previous 20 years, together with an growing quantity exterior Melanesia, and repeatedly assists with oil spills. Thus, the corporate performs an necessary position not solely within the security of ships and crews, but additionally within the safety of the marine surroundings and due to this fact the livelihoods and cultural practices of 1000’s of coastal communities.
PacTow additionally offers spill prevention companies for the switch of gas to bunkering vessels and tankers and it really works in partnership with vitality prospects on spill coaching workout routines. “Our cooperation with prospects in addition to with port and safety authorities permits us to develop emergency and spill capabilities inside our personal group, in addition to on the business stage, and on the nationwide stage. An instance of this PacTow is concerned within the improvement of PNG’s ‘Nationwide Oil Spill Response Plan’.
One other position PacTow is taking part in in facilitating the area’s delivery business, in addition to PNG’s improvement, is its involvement within the improve of PNG’s two ports. The port upgrades are a part of a wider infrastructure program funded by numerous events, together with the PNG and Australian governments. PacTow’s industrial obligation workforce – the area’s solely everlasting industrial dive operation – has been contracted to carry out a variety of duties together with seaside surveys, particles clearance, and underwater reducing for the improve.
PacTow’s various service providing is proof that the corporate is greater than ‘only a port towage supplier’. Marine Operations Supervisor, Gerard Kasnari, explains that it isn’t solely the companies that PacTow offers which have contributed to its market management place but additionally the best way it does enterprise, together with its social license credentials. “We make use of native folks, we offer distinctive coaching at residence and overseas, we’ve invested in two cadetship applications to develop the subsequent era of Melanesian seafarers, and we’re dedicated to the expansion and prosperity of those communities. An instance of this dedication is our continued presence in a few of PNG’s smaller and fewer worthwhile ports – with out PacTow the folks of those communities can be lacking out on very important delivery companies.
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PacTow is a component of a big sea and land logistics group wholly owned by Steamships Restricted. To be taught extra about PacTow: www.pacifictowingmarineservices.com