World’s first fully-electric tugboat en route to Seaspan in Canada

HaiSea Wamis, the world’s first fully electric harbour tugboat, has left Sanmar Shipyards, Turkey, and is now on its way to Seaspan in Vancouver, Canada.

Shipping company Seaspan announced the news on its social media, informing that the tugboat left Sanmar late last week.

Seaspan noted that the HaiSea Marine fleet will include three fully electric tugboats (the ElectRA 2800 – a new series of battery), which were designed by local naval architect company Robert Allan Ltd. The fleet is majority owned by Haisla Nation in partnership with Seaspan ULC.

To remind, HaiSea Marine was awarded a major contract to build, operate, escort and harbour tugs required for LNG Canada’s LNG export facility in Kitimat in 2019.

Construction of the new fleet began in 2021, consisting of two RAstar 4000-DF escort dual fuel (LNG and diesel) tugs and three ElectRA 2800 electric harbour tugs. The tugboats are expected to provide ship-assist and escort towing services to LNG carriers calling at the export facility.

According to the latest updates, the LNG Canada project, which is a joint venture of Shell, PETRONAS, PetroChina, Mitsubishi Corporation and Korea Gas Corporation, is advancing works at its tug berth facility which will support HaiSea Marine’s new fleet.

To note, the construction of the Kitimat LNG project is more than 80% complete, with the last large module delivered at the beginning of this month.

When completed, the facility will consist of a natural gas receiving and LNG production unit, a marine terminal with the capacity to accommodate two LNG carriers, a tugboat dock and LNG loading lines. It will also include LNG processing units, storage tanks, a rail yard, a water treatment facility and flare stacks.

Its production capacity is planned at 14 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) from the first two trains, with the potential to expand to four trains in the future.