Business Sectors
Business Sectors
Events
Contents
Register to read more articles.
Bureau Veritas classes first electric-powered harbour tug in southeast Asia
A European classification society has classed the first fully electric harbour tug to operate in southeast Asia, providing another low-emissions vessel for Singapore operations
PaxOcean built battery-electric tugboat Eon for Kuok Maritime Group (KMG) under the Coastal Sustainability Alliance (CSA), and it was named in late February, as part of Singapore’s transition towards cleaner and more efficient harbour craft.
The KMG subsidiary also built a fully electric supply vessel, Voltai, in 2025 as part of this environmental drive.
Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) provided classification services for both zero-emissions vessels, which are among the first and largest locally designed electric harbour craft intended for operations in Singapore’s coastal waters.
Eon was assigned BV’s Battery System notation, reflecting its fully electric propulsion architecture that includes a 3-MWh lithium titanate oxide battery pack connected to ABB’s energy management and DC grid systems.
This 29-m tug has a bollard pull of 50 tonnes coming from two 1,500-kW azimuth thrusters with fixed-pitch propellers, and accommodation for 10 crew.
It can manoeuvre, tow and dock ships in Singapore terminals using its electric power without producing any emissions.
Bureau Veritas vice president for marine and offshore in southeast Asia, Drago Pinteric, said the classification society will continue “supporting the maritime industry in deploying clean technologies that will shape a more sustainable and resilient maritime future for Singapore and southeast Asia.”
In Singapore, BV has assisted other owners and shipyards to advance maritime electrification, including projects run by Penguin International, Yinson and Pyxis.
Eon was named by KMG and CSA in a ceremony in Singapore in February 2026 after it was constructed in Indonesia and completed and commissioned in Singapore.
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.
Related to this Story
Events
Maritime Regulations Webinar Week
16 Dec 2025
GMT - ONLINE
Floating energy: successfully unlocking stranded gas using FLNGs and FSRUs
24 Feb 2026GMT - ONLINE
© 2026 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.
