New emergency tug set to take over

December 30, 2016 at 3:00 pm

The Ievoli Black in at Hatston, Orkney (picture Craig Taylor)

Tomorrow will be the first day of a five-year contract for the newly appointed Scottish Emergency Towing Vessel (ETV), Ievoli Black.

The 70-metre towing vessel, which will operate through the contract awarded to Ardent Maritime Netherlands BV by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), takes over from the Kirkwall-based tug Herakles.

Ievoli Black has sailed to Orkney from her previous station in the Adriatic and is set to be on patrol on a regular basis, rather than being Orkney-based like the Herakles.

The emergency tug is funded by the UK Government, and follows an announcement by ministers in July that they would guarantee funding for the next five years to support maritime safety.