Energy storage selected for twin Indian electric tugs

Knowledge Marine & Engineering Works has chosen battery systems for two electric-powered tugboats it is building for Visakhapatnam Port Authority and VOC Port Authority in Tuticorin.

Echandia will supply its Core energy storage system (ESS), which includes banks of lithium-titanium oxide (LTO) batteries, for these projects, marking its first Indian deployment.

These tugs are designed by Navnautik Technical Services and are scheduled to enter operations in Kandla Port, in the Kutch district of Gujarat, during Q2 2027.

Their ESS modules will have a 15-year service life, matching the full concession period of the vessels, “removing the need for a planned mid-life battery replacement and the associated cost, downtime and operational disruption during the contract period,” said Echandia.

“For us, long-term reliability, safety, low total cost of ownership and response were key decision factors,” said Knowledge Marine & Engineering Works managing director, Saurabh Daswani.

These tugs are built under the Indian Government’s Green Tug Transition Program (GTTP) that aims to reduce emissions from port operations, accelerate the nation’s transition from conventional diesel-powered harbour tugs to cleaner alternatives, and to bolster India’s shipbuilding industry.

“For tug operators, operational availability is the deciding factor,” said Echandia senior strategist, Rakshith Sachitanand.

“Our LTO chemistry and battery management system always gives crews an accurate state of charge and maximum bollard pull, so there are no surprises in operation,” he said.

Echandia has expanded its local presence in India through partnerships that secure service access for the full life of each vessel.