MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has signed contracts with Chinese shipyard Guangzhou Shunhai Shipyard Ltd to deliver anchor handling/towing winch packages for five 48-metre anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels.

Each device has a 75-tonne bollard pull and one 40 metre AHTS vessel with a 70-tonne bollard pull. The vessels are under construction for an undisclosed Middle East owner, said the company statement.

MacGregor will supply a medium-pressure 150-tonne capacity anchor handling/towing winch, a tugger winch, capstan and hydraulic power unit for each of the 48 metre AHTS vessels, and a 100-tonne capacity anchor handling/towing winch, a tugger winch, capstan and hydraulic power unit for the 40 metre AHTS vessel.

"The yard already has experience of MacGregor's high quality products, excellent project management, after sales services and support, making it the obvious choice for these projects," said MacGregor sales manager Terry Onn.

Delivery of the first vessel is planned for December 2015. Subsequent deliveries are planned at intervals up to the third quarter of 2016. All will be employed in anchor handling and towing operations in Middle East waters.

MacGregor is part of Finland's Cargotec with 2014 revenues of EUR3.4 billion (US$3.8 billion) and 11,000 employees. Cargotec's class B shares are quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki.