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Batteries selected for first Indian-built electric tug
An energy storage system has been chosen for what will be the first electric tugboat built in India to provide zero-emissions towage in one of the nation’s busiest ports
Mandovi Drydocks is building India’s first electric tugboat for Ripley Group to operate in Kandla Port for the Deendayal Port Authority as part of the nation’s green tug transition programme (GTTP).
After winning the charter tender, Ripley appointed Kongsberg Maritime as system integrator for the electric systems, and Echandia was selected through a competitive tender to supply the battery modules.
It will provide a 4.4-MWh energy storage system designed with a 15-year lifetime, which matches the full duration of the operational agreement between Ripley Group and the Deendayal Port Authority.
Echandia said it was the only supplier able to guarantee its battery system would deliver at least 30,000 cycles over 15 years without a mid-life battery replacement.
Delivery of the energy storage system is planned for Q3 2026, while Kongsberg said the tug, which was designed by NavNautik India, will have a bollard pull of around 60 tonnes when it enters service in Q4 2026.
Kongsberg is providing a fully integrated equipment package with battery modules, azimuth thrusters, K-Chief automation, control and power management, and Vessel Insight digital solutions.
“This project is an important step for India’s green maritime transition and for high-performance electric tug operations,” said Echandia chief executive Torbjörn Bäck.
“India is an important market for us. We are supporting India’s first fully electric tug, Kandla Port and the GTTP programme, in building a cleaner and more-efficient port ecosystem.”
Many more battery modules are likely to be ordered for electric-powered tug newbuildings in India in the coming years due to the GTTP, including 16 planned for delivery in 2027.
Beyond this, around 150 new electric tugs are planned, with the goal of reaching 400 new vessels by 2040, according to Echandia.
India’s maritime electrification strategy is accelerating the decarbonisation of ports and inland waterways and increasing the nation’s shipbuilders’ capabilities to construct advanced low-emissions vessels.
An international tug owner has recently turned to India for the construction of new battery-electric tugboats it intends to operate in ports in the nation.
In Q4 2025, Svitzer signed a letter of intent with Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), a leading Indian shipbuilder, to build a fleet of electric TRAnsverse tugs in the country.
Under the agreement, Svitzer and CSL will collaborate to build electric tugboats based on the TRAnsverse design that Svitzer developed with Canadian naval architect Robert Allan Ltd.
The 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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