Svitzer orders battery-powered tug

Copenhagen-based towage company, Svitzer, has ordered another battery-powered tug to be built by Sanmar Shipyard and deployed in the Øresund Strait between Denmark and Sweden. With a capacity of 1,818 Mwh and a 70-tonne bollard pull, the 52m-long azimuthing stern drive tug will be built to a Robert Allan design and delivered in the second half of this year.

Battery power will enable the 25m-long ElectRA 2500-SX tug to operate safely and effectively on electrical power alone. However, the vessel will also have two generators for back-up, extended endurance, and firefighting operations.

Svitzer’s Scandinavian managing director, Mathias Jonasson, commented: “In recent years, we have experienced an increasing demand for green towage services in Scandinavia, including the Øresund Strait. At the same time, we have committed to doing our part to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions in the industry by 2030. Getting a new battery-powered tug solves both challenges as we can continue to provide reliable and safe services to our customers while reducing the carbon footprint.”

Sanmar Shipyards’ Tamer Geçkin, Electrical Systems director, said: “We are honoured to support Svitzer in decarbonising their fleet and building this new high-performing battery tug. It has all the quality characteristics expected from a premium tug built at Sanmar Shipyards; a big, power-efficient battery powers it. Thereby, it represents the future for many tug operations.”