2023 deliveries highlight tug innovations

Up to now, only a couple of all-electric tugs had been built, mainly as commercial developments and trials of the technology. But in 2023, that all changed.

Fleets of battery-powered tugs have been launched, commissioned and delivered to early adopters and owners have placed their bets on methanol as the future fuel.

Turkish shipyards have completed eight electric tugs in 2023, which is likely to be an early peak in output of these zero-emissions harbour tugs.

Sanmar Shipyards delivered three to HaiSea Marine to support gas carriers at a new LNG export terminal. The first, HaiSea Wamis, was awarded International Tug & Salvage (ITS) Tug of the Year, as presented to the owner, builder and designer at TUGTECHNOLOGY ’23 conference in May 2023.

Two electric tugs were also built for SAAM Towage to support coal exports. All were built to Robert Allan Ltd’s ElectRA series designs for projects in British Columbia, Canada. Sanmar has a few more under construction for other operators for delivery in 2024. 

In 2023, Navtek Naval Technologies designed and built three zero-emissions tugboats with batteries to support ships using repair yards in Tuzla Bay, Turkey, two of its ZeeTug30 series and one to its ZeeTug45 design, to join Gisas Power I, which was presented during Riviera Maritime Media’s ITS Convention 2022.

Damen Shipyards has used experience gained from producing battery-powered Sparky in 2022 to construct more reverse stern drive RSD-E tugs, with batteries, with the first set for delivery next year.

Other innovative deliveries in 2023 include the world’s first hydrogen-fuelled tug, Hydrotug, tested and entering service in Antwerp, Belgium in Q4 2023 and two LNG-fuelled tugs completed to assist LNG carriers in Canada. 

Another innovation was in naval architecture, with Svitzer receiving the first of its TRAnsverse design tugs for European towage. More will be built for European and Australian ports in 2024.

But most tug deliveries, around 250 in 2023, will operate on marine gasoil with an increasing number compliant with IMO Tier III standards for minimising NOx emissions and for using sustainable biofuels.

These are becoming more prevalent and are now standard for tugs built for northern Europe, with a growing number built with IMO Tier III compliance for southern Europe, South America and the Caribbean. 

Tugs in the US must comply with Environmental Protection Agency Tier 4 emissions regulations, which are more stringent than IMO Tier III.

Although the present is diesel-driven, the future will see more tugs built with onboard batteries, dual-fuel engines ready to run on methanol, LNG and hydrogen fuels. There will be a mix of technologies and an acceleration in constructing low- or zero-emissions tugs in the medium and long term.