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Uzmar prepares first battery-methanol harbour tug for delivery
Svitzer intends to operate the world’s most powerful electric escort tug in the Port of Gothenburg after Uzmar completed its commissioning and sea trials
Uzmar Shipyard is preparing to deliver the world’s first battery-methanol harbour tug, Svitzer Balder, after it completed sea trials in early April.
According to Robert Allan Ltd, director of project development, James Hyslop, this 35-m vessel is the world’s most powerful electric escort tug.
“It has been a great couple of days doing trials and getting to know the new TRAnsverse 3500 tug,” he said in a LinkedIn post on 9 April.
“88 tonnes of bollard pull and over 150 tonnes of steering force, all on batteries. Those are some impressive numbers,” he said.
Svitzer Balder has a 6,000-kWh battery system, two 350-kW methanol engines, and a 2,000-kW diesel engine.
“This beast is a testament to the vision of the Svitzer team,” said Mr Hyslop, adding that the “electric trusters give it a gentle touch.”
Other companies involved in its construction include AYK Energy, which supplied the ESS and BMA Technology that integrated this into the electric-powered propulsion system, which includes two Kongsberg Maritime azimuth thrusters.
Uzmar president and chief executive, Ahmet Noyan Altug, said Svitzer Balder delivered “impressive results during trials” and completion of this “pioneering vessel” was a “great milestone for innovation, performance and sustainability in our industry.”
Svitzer Balder will soon be heading to the Port of Gothenburg Sweden, in time for Riviera’s International Tug & Salvage Convention in May, to escort, tow, manoeuvre and dock ships, such as Maersk Line’s methanol-fuelled container carriers.
Svitzer site manager, Jens Kumler Rasmussen, said Svitzer Balder “is one of the biggest tugs we have ever built, and probably also the most complex because of its different fuel systems.”
In March, Uzmar cut steel on a new 32-m tugboat with hybrid propulsion that it is building for Port of Tauranga in New Zealand, for delivery in mid-2027.
It will be a Rotortug with three azimuth thrusters for high maneuverability and up to 80 tonnes of bollard pull to handle ships under a wider range of sea and wind conditions compared with the port’s existing tug fleet, including two 10-year-old azimuth stern-drive tugs Tai Pari and Tai Timu, both 24 m, with 74 tonnes of bollard pull.
When the port ordered the newbuild from Uzmar in January 2026, Port of Tauranga chief executive, Leonard Sampson, said:
“The Rotortug design will provide us with enhanced manoeuvrability and precision, with greater strength in emergencies, and reduce our reliance on diesel, reducing greenhouse gas emissions thanks to the hybrid technology.”
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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