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Decarbonisation drives future tug designs
Naval architects have generated all-electric tug designs as owners and ports adopt technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Tugboats are being designed by naval architects with electric power, batteries and engines ready to combust alternative fuels as the maritime and ports sector ploughs ahead towards carbon net zero.
Naval architects agree decarbonisation is one of the biggest trends in tug design and construction, with similar importance to maintaining stability, manoeuvrability and the safety of vessels and crew.
“In 2024, we expect to see a continually increasing focus on decarbonisation, but still a need for reliable high-performance diesel-fuelled tugs for regions where decarbonisation is not yet possible,” says Robert Allan Ltd (RAL) president and chief executive Mike Fitzpatrick.
“To meet the decarbonisation goals, a large number of battery electric tugs are under design, implementing the latest in battery technology. We expect to see a combination of both future fuelled and future fuel-ready vessels,” he tells International Tug & Salvage.
Naval architects use simulations and computer-based analytics to optimise designs, enabling tugs to have a higher pull to assist larger ships into harbours and terminals without jeopardising safety.
“We are increasing our simulation and design capabilities to further optimise, derisk and innovate, as tugs are increasingly handling larger and larger ships at higher speeds in the tight confines of harbours and constrained channels,” says Mr Fitzpatrick.
The Vancouver, British Columbia, Canadian company became carbon neutral in 2023. It is a major designer of tugs, offshore support vessels, inland vessels and emergency response and salvage ships. RAL reported 88 vessels built to its designs were delivered to owners worldwide by shipyards in 2023. This included 87 tugboats of various types completed in 15 different shipyards in nine countries with a combined bollard pull of more than 6,000 tonnes and almost 400 MW of installed power.
“And for the first time, a small but significant portion of that total installed power is coming from batteries,” says Mr Fitzpatrick.
The biggest highlight of the year, according to RAL, was the successful delivery of five battery-electric tugs built by Sanmar Shipyards for Haisea Marine and SAAM Towage that will enable zero-emissions operations. The first of these, HaiSea Wamis, won ITS Tug of the Year 2023.
“Maritime decarbonisation and a focus on environmental impact are important step changes for the industry which is impacting design and operational decisions,” says Mr Fitzpatrick.
“This brings with it the need to create operational efficiencies within tug fleets and the significant data capturing and analysis efforts underway will assist us in supporting future innovations.”
Tug architecture must also consider the safety and comfort of mariners working on these vessels. “The mariners on board should not be forgotten and are key in the adoption of new technologies while upholding the culture of continuous safety improvement,” says Mr Fitzpatrick.
This design house is expanding its tug series in 2024, adding new RAsalvor emergency towing vessels, RApide shallow-draft pushboats, RAmpage offshore vessels and TRAnsverse tugs, which it designed in collaboration with Svitzer.
“These will complement our core RAstar, RAmparts, and RAscal series of designs which continue to perform ship handling and escort roles for operators,” says Mr Fitzpatrick. In February 2024, steel will be cut on the world’s first newbuild methanol-powered escort and rescue tugs for delivery to Kotug Canada in 2025.
2024 fleet construction
Damen Shipyards will design and build battery-electric tugboats in 2024 following success with its first, Sparky, which was delivered to Ports of Auckland in New Zealand and won ITS Tug of the Year 2022. It has received more than 50 orders for tugboats for delivery in 2023-2024, many to be built in its shipyards in China, Vietnam and the Netherlands.
This includes orders for its reverse stern drive (RSD) tugs with batteries, RSD-E 2513 design, for Port of Antwerp-Bruges and Boluda Towage, plus more RSD tugs of a similar design but with diesel main engines compliant with IMO Tier III emissions requirements for those owners and Fairplay Towage.
Damen also introduced a new azimuth stern drive (ASD) design, ASD 2111, in 2023, with the first orders for Neue Schleppdampfschiffsreederei Louis Meyer, Port of Malborough and Remolcadores Nosa Terra.
“In Q1 2024, we will introduce our new vessel type, the compact, multipurpose and powerful ASD Tug 1810,” says Damen. “We will finish constructing five fully electric RSD-E 2513 tugs for stock and start developing a new fully electric tug design.”
This tug builder expects further developments in tug designs for renewable fuels, particularly on engines.
“Fuel-flexible designs allow tug owners to continuously balance fuel costs and availability, and emissions reduction throughout a vessel’s lifetime,” says Damen. Tugs delivered this decade will be able to switch between different fossil fuels, biofuels and e-fuels during their service life to support a commercial and technically feasible pathway to decarbonisation.
“We have worked on a new fully electric tug design, which will be announced soon,” says Damen. “For that design, we have updated the electrical components to achieve a higher power output in a smaller size system. We are continuously monitoring the development of new batteries and the ability to do high-power charging.”
Designs for the vessels and charging systems being built in 2024 were improved with the lessons learned from Sparky. The RSD-E tug for Port of Antwerp-Bruges will be delivered and the first fully electric tug in Damen’s stock will be available in Q3 2024.
“There is a demand, however we need to ensure the vessel fits the operational profile and check if the local infrastructure is ready for the charging system,” says Damen. “Nevertheless, the RSD-E 2513 tug is already able to operate in ports where the grid infrastructure is not ready yet but will be in the near future.”
Electric tug designers
Other designers have developed electric-powered tug designs and are helping shipyards with their construction. Singapore-headquartered SeaTech Solutions has developed an all-electric tug design series E-Volt for construction in Asian shipyards, with the first scheduled for completion in 2024 for Vallianz Holdings by Vallianz PT USP shipyard in Batam, Indonesia.
This 24-m electric tug will have azimuth stern drive propulsion, a bollard pull of 60 tonnes and a service speed of over 12 knots. It will also have a digital platform to manage battery and auxiliary power and enable Vallianz to monitor operations remotely.
SeaTech Solutions is working with class society ABS and battery system provider Shift Clean Energy on this tug design, and on one for Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, which plans to build the first battery-powered tugboat in India.
The E-Volt 50 adheres to the ABS Guide for Use of Lithium Batteries in the Marine and Offshore Industries and the ABS Guide for Hybrid Electric Power Systems for Marine and Offshore Applications.
Macduff Ship Design is working with shipbuilder Harland & Wolff, Kongsberg Maritime and electrical system provider Echandia to design an electric tug for construction in Scotland, UK to cut emissions from vessel manoeuvring and towage.
The concept design is based on a 25-m tugboat with a beam of 12 m and a depth of around 5 m, with Echandia batteries and electrical control systems, with a 25-year lifetime, powering Kongsberg azimuth thrusters in ASD configuration. In 2023, detailed design and engineering was underway to refine the concept. This tug will also have generators driven by hydrogenated vegetable oil biofuel for exceptional operations or when shore charging is unavailable.
The 27th International Tug & Salvage Convention, Exhibition & Awards will be held in association with Caterpillar in Dubai, UAE, 21-23 May 2024. Use this link for more details of this industry event and the associated social and networking opportunities; and this link to book your ticket for the exhibition, social gatherings and awards night.
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