Israel Ports to Get Two New Tug Boats from Bulgaria, Replacing Deal Canceled by Turkey

Jerusalem, 27 August, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Following the cancellation of the agreement with a Turkish shipyard, as part of the Turkish boycott of Israel, the Israel Ports Company (IPC), through Haifa Maritime Transport Company, signed a new agreement with a Bulgarian shipyard, for the purchase of two advanced tugboats with a total investment of approximately 100 million Shekels ($30 million).

The current agreement was signed against the backdrop of what IPC called the urgent need to strengthen the maritime service system in light of the ongoing increase in the traffic of giant ships calling at Israeli ports.

The new tugs are set to replace two of the four older tugs currently operating at the Port of Haifa. The design phase is expected to be completed this October, after which the production phase will begin at the shipyard. The tugs will be used by the Haifa Maritime Transport Company and will be put into service towards the end of 2026.

The tugs will be equipped with the latest generation Rotor Tug technology and a pulling capacity of 85 bollard pull tons, the highest in Israel today.