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Sanmar completes latest electric-powered tug for zero-emissions towage
A Turkish shipyard has seen continued momentum in construction of battery-electric tugboats as demand continues for zero-emissions towage
Sanmar Shipyards has completed its 14th battery-electric tug and has another under construction at its facilities in Turkey.
All these tugs were built to Robert Allan Ltd’s ElectRA designs, with energy storage systems (ESSs) supplied by Bergen, Norway-headquartered Corvus Energy and integrated into their electrical-driven propulsion.
Sanmar’s latest completion, Dinamo IV, was built to an ElectRA 2500SX design with 1,808 kWh of battery capacity, sufficient for harbour towage without the environmental footprint that a diesel-powered tug would have.
This 25.4-m tug has a beam of 12.9 m, a maximum draught of 5.4 m, a bollard pull of 70 tonnes and a top speed of 12.5 knots.
It also has a FiFi-class firefighting system and ship-handling winch on the forward deck.
Since the series was unveiled in 2021, ElectRA tugs have been deployed across Europe, North America, and Latin America, frequently operating in ecologically sensitive waters.
Previous ElectRA tugs have been delivered to Turkish state-backed energy terminal operator Botas, Denmark-headquartered Svitzer, Norway’s, Buksér og Berging, HaiSea Marine in British Columbia, Canada, and Chile-headquartered SAAM Towage.
Four were completed for Botas – Botas Ay, Botas Bayrak, Botas Hilal and Botas Yildiz – in Q4 2025 and Q1 2026. During the past four years. three were built for HaiSea Marine, two for SAAM’s operations in British Columbia and SAAM Trapananda for its work in Chile. Svitzer Ingrid was delivered in Q3 2025 and BB Electra to Buksér og Berging in 2024.
Their construction came as demand grew for vessels that can provide zero-emissions towage in harbours said Sanmar commercial director, Ruchan Civgin,
“We took a strategic decision to be at the forefront of this change and are working collaboratively to achieve a sustainable future,” he said.
Corvus ESS, electrical integration and naval architecture are key to the ElectRA series, while their environmental credentials are as important as their operational capabilities.
“Right from the start, we knew these green credentials had to be achieved without any loss of power or performance,” said Mr Civgin.
“A great deal of effort has gone into ensuring that they match and, in many cases, outperform their conventional counterparts,” he said.
ElectRA tugs built for Botas have an ESS capacity, at 5,085 kWh, to power two azimuth thrusters generating 70 tonnes of bollard pull ahead, and a top speed of around 13 knots.
These azimuth stern drive (ASD) tugs have a FiFi-class firefighting system and a double-drum winch on the forward deck.
Botas will operate them at its Marmara Ereglisi LNG terminal, west of Istanbul, and at a floating storage and regasification unit at Saros in northern Turkey for escorting and handling gas carriers all year round.
“Combining our half-century experience with our innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, we continue our work in line with our goal of shaping the future of global maritime shipping,” said Sanmar chairman, Cem Seven.
The 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.
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