Svitzer has ordered the world’s first battery-powered methanol tugboat from the Turkish Uzmar shipyard. It is to be deployed from mid-2025.
The tug with a battery capacity of 6 MWh will be used in Gothenburg and will handle a quarter of Svitzer‘s operations in the port with zero emissions. The newbuild is based on Svitzer’s innovative TRAnsverse concept. In addition to the battery, there will be dual-fuel engines as range extenders.
The escort tug is expected to carry out more than 90% of its operations with its battery-electric drivetrain and do up to 25% of Svitzer’s work in the port of Gothenburg.
Designed in collaboration with naval architect Robert Allan Ltd, the tug has an overall length of 34.9 m and a bollard pull of 85 tons. With a gross tonnage of around 806 tons, the tug can reach a speed of up to 14 knots.
“This battery tug will bring a new dynamic to our operations,” says Kasper Nilaus, CEO of Svitzer.
