Business Sectors
Events
Contents
Register to read more articles.
Tianjin Port orders battery-electric tugboat for zero-emissions towage
One of the world’s busiest ports has ordered a fully electric-powered tugboat from a Chinese shipyard to cut emissions during ship assistance
Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard has started building a battery-electric tugboat for Tianjin Port using a tailored design from Canadian naval architect Robert Allan Ltd.
It will be built to an AmpRA 3600 design with a beam of 11 m, a depth of 5 m and 62 tonnes of bollard pull at Zhenjiang Shipyard in Jiangsu province for Tianjin Port in northern China. This 36-m vessel will be powered by batteries, with no generator sets onboard, making it a fully battery electric and diesel-free, ship-handling tug. It will have accommodation for seven seafarers.
The first Robert Allan-designed battery electric vessel to be built in China, it will feature an energy storage system supplied by CATL with more than 7 MWh of batteries, an electrical system from the 704 Institute and L-drives from Nanjing High Accurate Marine Equipment Co, all in China.
Robert Allan said its AmpRA 3600 design has a similar hullform to the naval architecture it previously provided the shipyard and Tianjin Port for tugs with conventional propulsion.
Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard is also constructing several azimuth stern drive (ASD) tugboats, each with two main diesel engines driving two thrusters, for various shipyards.
On 16 July, it cut steel on an ASD tug with 4,780 kW of installed power for the National Hazardous Chemicals Emergency Rescue Gulei group. This followed a steel cutting ceremony on 14 July for two special-purpose tugs, each with 2,942 kW of power, for Shanghai Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co.
On 10 July, it cut steel on a 32-m ASD tugboat for an unnamed Chinese owner and at the beginning of July, Zhenjiang Shipyard cut steel on two ASD tugboats, each to have 4,420 kW of installed power, for Nantong Lusi Port Tugboat Co.
On 9 July, the shipbuilder delivered a 37-m, ASD tugboat with 2,940 kW of power to an unnamed domestic owner. This tug has a beam of 10 m, a depth of 5 m, an ahead bollard pull 42 tonnes and astern bollard pull is 39 tonnes, an operational range of 600 nautical miles and a top speed of 14 knots.
On 10 July, Zhenjiang Shipyard launched two tugboats, Yick Tug 108 and Yick Tug 109, by lifting them from its drydock into the water by its quaysides. Once completed, these tugboats will be delivered to COSCO Shipping Bulk Cargo Transportation Co, ready to support ships exporting bauxite from Guinea.
This is the fifth batch of tugs the shipyard is producing for the owner and its Belt and Road project in West Africa.
Riviera’s Maritime Hybrid, Electric & Hydrogen Fuel Cells Conference & Exhibition returns to Bergen on 14-16 October 2025. Use this link to get more information and tickets to this international event. For any enquiries about this event, please contact Indrit Kruja or Rob Gore.
Related to this Story
Events
© 2024 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.
