Robert Allan has introduced a series of designs for electric-powered tugs as demand for vessels with lower emissions intensifies
The Canadian naval architect has unveiled its ElectRA series of tugs with lengths from 21 m up to 28 m, and azimuth stern drive (ASD) and tractor configuration designs available.
This comes after HaiSea Marine ordered electric-powered harbour tugs for operations on the western coast of Canada. Sanmar shipyard in Turkey will build these to Robert Allan’s ElectRA 2800 design with 70 tonnes of bollard pull.
Since this order, Robert Allan has added ElectRA 2100, 2300, 2500, and 2600-T concepts, with each offering a distinctly different take on battery-electric propulsion.
ElectRA 2800 will have generous battery capacity of up to 6,102 kWh. For HaiSea’s tugs, these will be recharged from shore with electricity generated through local hydroelectric power.
“With clean energy from the local grid, these tugs’ will perform most, or even all, missions on battery power alone,” said Robert Allan, “demonstrating the exciting potential of leveraging battery technology to realise near complete elimination of CO2 and other potentially harmful exhaust emissions from harbour tug operations.”
Each of the three ElectRA 2800 tugs are expected to eliminate around 1,700 tonnes of CO2 per annum, resulting in total annual savings of more than 5,000 tonnes compared with even the cleanest modern diesel-powered alternatives.
Of Robert Allan’s other electric tug designs, the most similar to the HaiSea tugs are the ElectRA 2500 which deliver 70 tonnes bollard pull. They include 3,200 kWh of batteries, back-up diesel generator sets for fire-fighting and extended endurance, but in a more compact hullform. ElectRA 2500 could be used for a wide range of missions including ship escort.
ElectRA 2600-T design is similar in performance, but is a tractor tug. With a bollard pull of 70 tonnes, it has 4,000 kWh of batteries and back-up gensets for fire-fighting and ship escort operations.
The ElectRA 2300 recognises that most battery-electric tug applications will be harbour operations without the need for overnight accommodation. It has batteries with more than 3,500 kWh of capacity, smaller back-up diesel generators and a bollard pull in excess of 60 tonnes.
Robert Allan’s ElectRA 2100 goes a step further by eliminating the main gensets, “thus also eliminating many of the space-consuming and costly diesel, exhaust, ventilation, and cooling systems” said Robert Allan.
It has have a small get-home generator in the deckhouse. Apart from that, it is a pure battery tug with more than 5,000 kWh of battery capacity, and a bollard pull of 50 tonnes.
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