Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has taken delivery of and christened a new plough tug – the Mohoma – which forms part of its dredging fleet.

A plough tug is used as a bed leveller to smooth out high spots created by marine traffic in high-volume berth areas. The vessel complements the work of dredgers, which serve the purpose of maintaining or increasing the depth of navigation channels, anchorages, or berthing areas to ensure the safe passage of boats and vessels.

TNPA says the name Mohoma is derived from Sesotho and means “to plough”. The name was chosen through a naming competition that TNPA ran among its employees, with the winning name entered by three employees.

“The demand for dredging services has increased in the region and the addition of this plough tug will increase the berth capacity of the ports. Managing the demand is part of TNPA’s growth plan, which will see the continuous improvement of port infrastructure,” says Transnet chairperson Dr Popo Molefe.

The acquisition of the plough tug forms part of TNPA’s ongoing fleet replacement programme. Mohoma replaces the plough tug Impisi – a 50-year-old marine craft that has surpassed its operational lifespan. Over the past few years, the Impisi has been confined to the Port of Durban owing to her limited availability, and Mohoma will enable TNPA Dredging Services to plough at all the South African ports.

Built by Damen Shipyards Cape Town, the new plough tug is a multi-functional seagoing workboat for harbour and coastal services. It is a unit from the Shoalbuster series – built in steel to the Damen standard design. Damen Shipyards Cape Town has vast experience with low-cost maintenance vessels ensuring an optimal layout and maintainability of all installed high-quality components.

“We are honoured to deliver this state-of-the-art plough tug to TNPA. This vessel has the capacity of a 45 t bollard pull measure, is 33 m long and 9 m wide, and can plough up to 25 m depth.

"With a spacious working deck, this versatile workboat will serve as an asset for TNPA's ports and dredging operations. The world-class vessel showcases the Damen Group’s design knowledge, the skill of our South African shipbuilding team and our first-class local equipment manufacturers and co-makers,” Damen Shipyards Cape Town director Sefale Montsi says.