Danish towage operator Svitzer has placed an order for what it says is the world’s first battery-methanol tug.
The Copenhagen-based group with more than 450 vessels has contracted the Turkish shipyard Uzmar to build the unit, which will feature a 6MWh battery supported by dual-fuel methanol engines for backup and range extension.
Svitzer said the vessel is expected to operate more than 90% using its battery-electric powertrain and carry out up to 25% of its work in the port of Gothenburg in Sweden.
The 34.9-m-long ship has been designed in collaboration with naval architect, Robert Allan to deliver a bollard pull ahead of 85 tonnes and utilise escort steering and braking forces rated at 150 and 200 tonnes, respectively, measured at 10 knots. The tug will be capable of achieving speeds of up to 14 knots.
“Applications for battery solutions are constantly expanding, and we see it becoming an important power option in the sustainability transition. This battery tug will bring a new dynamic to our operations,” remarked Kasper Nilaus, CEO of Svitzer.
“There will not be a one-size-fits-all solution for us to meet our ambitious decarbonisation targets, and equipped with this new power technology we have yet another option for how to significantly reduce emissions across the many global ports and terminals we operate in,” Nilaus added.
Svitzer, which spun off from AP Moller-Maersk earlier this year, said it was convinced by ongoing improvements in alternative power technologies that the combination of battery power and methanol engines may assure reliable operations in a site where these two power sources are readily available.
Looking to become the world’s most sustainable port, Gothenburg is making significant investments to provide the necessary shore power charging options, and methanol is already being bunkered at the port. “As such, Gothenburg has all the ingredients for safe and stable operation of the tug for many years to come,” Svitzer noted.
