Batteries ordered for Svitzer electric newbuild tugs

Cochin Shipyard will be building four vessels with low-emissions propulsion for Copenhagen-headquartered Svitzer to a TRAnsverse 2600e tug design, developed by Svitzer and Robert Allan Ltd.

Kongsberg Maritime will supply the electrical and automation architecture of the tugs, including switchboards, permanent magnet propulsion motors, K-Chief control systems and shore-charging equipment.

AYK Energy will provide its ABS-certified 4,838-kWh OrionAN+ battery system for each tugboat to the shipyard and these will be integrated into Kongsberg Maritime’s systems.

More of these electrical, automation and power ships could be required, as Svitzer has options with Cochin Shipyard for construction of four more similar tugs.

“Vessel operators and integrators have told us they want more energy density and greater power without compromising safety,” said AYK founder, Chris Kruger.

“We have worked closely with class, integrators and owners to bring lithium-iron-phosphate chemistry to the market at scale,” he said.  

AYK has previously supplied its ABS-certified AriesA 6MWh battery system to electric-powered escort tug, Svitzer Balder, which was built by Uzmar shipyard in Turkey. It also supplied lithium-iron-phosphate batteries to replace nickel manganese cobalt batteries on four hybrid-electric tugboats – Svitzer Euro, Svitzer Perentie, Svitzer Boodie and Svitzer Dugong – operating at an LNG export terminal in Barrow Island, Western Australia.