Seattle-based Saltchuk Marine and Lake Charles-based Harbor Docking & Towing have announced the formation of Green Tug Towing (GTT), a new joint venture that has been awarded a 20-year services contract by Australian energy company Woodside Energy to design, build, and operate four advanced hybrid escort tugboats for its new Louisiana LNG terminal in Calcasieu Parish. The contract, valued at more than $300 million, pushes Woodside’s total committed investment with Louisiana suppliers past the $1 billion mark for the foundational development of the $17.5 billion project — the largest foreign direct investment in Louisiana state history.

Construction of the four vessels is already underway at C&C Marine and Repair’s Belle Chasse, Louisiana shipyard, where a keel laying ceremony was held on April 17. Built to Robert Allan Ltd.’s RApport 2800-H design, the tugs will feature diesel-electric hybrid propulsion systems engineered to reduce fuel consumption and emissions during standby operations, harbor transits, and low-speed maneuvering — while also delivering the bollard pull needed to safely handle the world’s largest LNG carriers. Delivery is targeted for 2028, with the tugs set to begin supporting LNG carrier operations when Louisiana LNG targets first production in 2029. The contract will support approximately 70 direct local jobs, 30 indirect roles, and around 60 temporary construction positions at C&C’s shipyard.

For Saltchuk Marine — whose portfolio includes Pacific Northwest operators Foss Maritime, AmNav, and Cook Inlet Tug & Barge — the venture marks a significant expansion into Gulf Coast LNG terminal services. Harbor Docking & Towing has operated along the Calcasieu Shipping Channel, the seventh busiest waterway in the nation by tonnage, since 1955. Together, the two companies have signaled their intention to pursue additional harbor tug opportunities at other U.S. ports beyond Louisiana.