APM Terminals has introduced two azimuth stern drive tugboats at its Poti facility to improve operating capabilities in harsh weather and night-time navigation through the entrance channel.

According to APM, the tugboats are from Svitzer, a subsidiary under Maersk Transport & Logistics. The port will also be served with another tugboat from APM Terminals Poti.

“We are excited to strengthen our vessel-handling capabilities with these advanced tugboats,” said Klaus Holm Laursen, managing director of APM Terminals Poti. “Our customers benefit with enhanced night-time navigation and safer towage during harsh weather conditions. This translates into faster turn times for vessels, more berthing windows to fit last-minute changes to sailing schedules and we can now welcome even longer, larger vessels. We believe the big winner here will be our landside customers whose supply chains to interior points in Georgia and Central Asia will see improved scheduling reliability and flexibility, making Poti the Black Sea gateway of choice.”

APM Terminals Poti is the largest port in Georgia and handles 80% of the country’s container traffic. It offers 15 berths for cargo and ferry passenger service, a total quay length of 2,900 metres and more than 20 quay cranes. About 60% of the container traffic handled at Poti is destined for delivery in Armenia, Azerbaijan and other Central Asian locations.

Development plans call for continued facility expansion and modernization at Poti over the next five years, according to APM Terminals.