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First methanol-ready tugboats coming to cut towage emissions
Shipyards are completing the first methanol-hybrid tugboats, to come into service in 2026, bringing in a new era of low-emissions, sustainable towage
Owners have ventured into using methanol fuel along with proven energy storage technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ship escort, manoeuvring and docking in ports, with the first set to enter service in the next 12 months.
Battery-electric tugs will also be delivered in 2026, with Sanmar Shipyards, Armon and Damen Shipyards dominating these completions with vessels using energy storage modules to run propulsion or supplement engine power.
Sanmar Shipyards is close to completing two methanol-powered escort tugs – SD Aisemaht and SD Qwiy Aanitsa Sarah – for Kotug Canada’s operations in British Columbia.
These 44-m tugs have been built to Robert Allan Ltd’s RASalvor 4400-DFM design with around 120 tonnes of bollard pull, and fire-fighting and oil-spill response equipment on board to provide long-range towing, anchor-handling, rescue and salvage.
Their propulsion includes twin methanol dual-fuel engines and Schottel’s Sydrive-M mechanical hybrid propulsion, consisting of two azimuth rudderpropellers of type SRP 710 that can be driven by just one of the two high-speed main engines.
Uzmar is building a first methanol-fuelled, battery-driven TRAnsverse tug for Svitzer for planned delivery in Q2 2026.
This 35-m tugboat is scheduled to enter service in Gothenburg, Sweden, hopefully in time for Riviera’s International Tug & Salvage Convention in that port city in May 2026, to provide near-zero emissions when towing, manoeuvring and docking ships, such as Maersk Line’s methanol-fuelled container carriers.
In 2026, Svitzer should take delivery of its next TRAnsverse tugs following new designs it developed in conjunction with Robert Allan, including some with technologies on board to lower emissions.
Future newbuildings for Svitzer’s renewal requirements will have battery modules and methanol dual-fuel engines, said Svitzer chief operating officer Kasper Karlsen.
“We found methanol is the most applicable for handling and energy density,” he told International Tug & Salvage. “We are in dialogue with engine manufacturers to work out how methanol would work, and there will be an electric-hybrid methanol tug delivered in 2026.”
A fleet of electric-powered TRAnsverse tugs is likely to be built in India for delivery in 2027, to operate where there is charging infrastructure.
“Electric is part of the endgame for some locations where infrastructure is installed,” said Mr Karlsen. “A good portion of our newbuildings for fleet renewal will be battery tugs.”
Turkey’s state-owned crude oil and natural gas pipeline and trading company, Botas, is ahead in its electric tug fleet investment. Sanmar is completing four emissions-free tugboats based on Robert Allan’s ElectRA 2500SX design with 5,085-kWh capacity of Corvus Energy batteries, enabling them to achieve 70 tonnes of bollard pull and a speed of 12 knots.
“We found methanol is the most applicable for handling and energy density”
Named Botas Hilal, Botas Bayrak, Botas Ay and Botas Yildiz, the first was launched on 5 July and the second on 9 August 2025, while the third was named in September and the fourth in Q4 2025.
Damen is also pushing ahead with electric-powered reverse stern drive (RSD) tug construction at its Vietnamese facilities, Damen Song Cam Shipyard.
It has picked up contracts for newbuilds in the past two years, having supplied two to Noatum Maritime in the United Arab Emirates and Volta 1 to Port of Antwerp-Bruges in 2025.
Damen also operates its own electric RSD 2513 tugs, 2024-built Aqua Pollux in Europe and 2025-built Aqua Stentor in India, where the Dutch group is interested in building electric-powered tugs.
It has invested in Damen Song Cam Shipyard to produce more of these and electric azimuth stern drive tugs in 2026 with more advanced propulsion.
Armon will build more tugs in Spain with hybrid-electric propulsion as it has a long-term contract to construct newbuilds for the Panama Canal Authority after four were completed in 2025.
Uzmar and Med Marine are also among shipbuilders with plans to build battery-electric tugs using Robert Allan designs to follow in the footsteps of these pioneers.
More battery-electric tugs are coming, and the first methanol-hybrid tugs will be delivered in 2026.
Riviera’s 28th International Tug & Salvage Convention, Exhibition & Awards will be held in Gothenburg, Sweden, in association with Caterpillar, 19-21 May 2026. Use this link for more details of this industry event and the associated social and networking opportunities.
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