Sanmar and Corvus sign electric-tug development agreement

This is expected to help drive a green revolution in tugs and towage as the industry seeks to reduce its environmental footprint and decarbonise. It follows an MoU signed during a European Tugowners Association meeting held in Turku, Finland in September, to jointly develop a range of harbour tugs with lower or zero emissions.

Sanmar and Corvus will establish a route to supply and integrate batteries and fuel-cell technology for cost-effective electric and hybrid tugs. Corvus will provide the energy storage and fuel-cell technology, dimensioning and advice on battery room design, power systems and fuel interfaces.

Sanmar will build tugboats based on Canadian naval architects at Robert Allan Ltd’s designs for tugs with bollard pulls between 30 and 70 tonnes at its two custom-built shipyards at Tuzla and Altinova in Turkey.

The first two tugs will be built to ElectRA 2800 design with 70 tonnes of bollard pull for HaiSea Marine, which ordered electric-powered harbour tugs for operations at the Kitimat LNG export plant and terminal in western Canada.