Kotug provides electric tug for cocoa bean shipments

Rotterdam-based towage company, Kotug International, is to deploy its electric Kotug E-Pusher type M and four barges to make zero-emission shipments of cocoa beans for Cargill. The cargoes will be transported between the Port of Amsterdam and the trading company’s cacao processing facilities in Zaandam.

The E-Pusher type M tug, the ‘medium’ vessel in the three-size E-Pusher range, can push barges carrying up to 4,000 tonnes of cargo. The tug is equipped with swappable battery energy containers supplied by Shift Clear Energy (Shift), and will use Shift battery swapping and charging stations along the route.

Kotug believes that the tugs, designed for inner city transport, short distances, and longer trips on inland waterways, will help companies seeking to develop more sustainable supply chains. The modular design and lean assembly system reduces tug construction time by more than 50%, the company said, compared with conventional pusher tugs of similar size.

Changing the swappable energy containers from Swift Clean Solution at one of the battery hubs during the trip takes only a few minutes. Meanwhile, empty batteries can be re-charged at night when energy may cost less.

Kotug International president and CEO, Ard-Jan Kooren, commented: “We launched the E-Pusher concept in 2021, and the smaller type, the E-Pusher S ... is already successfully deployed in several inland waterways and cities. I am very proud that an international company like Cargill is our first customer for the E-Pusher type M.

“The vessel is designed for transportations like these and guarantees zero-emission logistics and a significantly approved efficiency. As a result, we can support a broad range of industries to turn a part of their supply chain emission-free without extra costs.”