The new vessel, which will operate out of Puerto Quetzal, meets the highest standards for controlling nitrogen oxide emissions.
Turkey, July 24, 2026 | SAAM Towage will soon add the tug SAAM Hunabku to its fleet, making it the company’s 16th vessel delivered by Sanmar Shipyards. It will operate out of Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala, as part of the company’s fleet renewal program in the Americas.
Pablo Cáceres, SAAM Towage’s Manager of Innovation and New Construction, noted that “the SAAM Hunabku will enable more environmentally friendly operations at Puerto Quetzal, as the first IMO Tier III tugboat in Guatemala. This milestone reaffirms the path we have outlined to advance our sustainability strategy and reflects the valuable partnership we have built with Sanmar to achieve our goals.”
IMO Tier III classification certifies that the engines meet the highest international standards for nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions control, contributing to more efficient and environmentally friendly operations.
For his part, Rüçhan Çıvgın, commercial director of Sanmar Shipyards, explained how the delivery “reflects both companies’ shared commitment to innovation, operational excellence and the development of sustainable towing solutions to meet the needs of modern ports.”
A Boğaçay class vessel based on Robert Allan’s RAmparts 2400SX-MKII design, the SAAM Hunabku stands out for its compact dimensions—24.4 meters in length and 12 meters in beam—combined with high operational capacity. It can reach speeds of up to 12.5 knots, is equipped with two CAT 3516E engines, has more than 80 metric tons of bollard pull, a FiFi-1 fire fighting system, dual azimuth propulsion (Z-drive), and can accommodate a crew of up to seven people.
