SD Independent entered operational service in mid-January after months of training and handling trials that included cold moving the decommissioned Type 42 destroyer Exeter in the harbour.

A sister tug, SD Indulgent, and SD Reliable, the first of a pair of Azimuth Tractor Drive 2909 berthing tugs, have also been delivered.

The pair will replace SD Bustler and SD Powerful later this year. With the deliveries, Damen Shipbuilding has passed the mid-point in construction of 29 new vessels for Serco Denholm Marine Services.