Enap and SAAM’s electric tug aces sea trials before traveling to Chile

Latin America’s first electric tug, which will operate in Chile under an agreement between state-owned company Empresa Nacional del Petróleo (Enap) and harbor towage services provider SAAM, is wrapping up sea trials at Sanmar shipyard’s vicinity in Tuzla Bay, Istanbul.

The latest sea trials and bollard pull testing at the Turkish shipyard are conducted ahead of the tug’s departure to Chile to inspect compliance with technical specifications and verify the static behavior and performance of the installed systems.

As previously reported, the vessel with electric propulsion was launched in December 2024 and is scheduled to arrive in Chile in the first half of 2025.

Designed by Robert Allan and built at Sanmar Shipyards in Turkiye, the vessel will operate in Puerto Chacabuco, in the Aysén Region, providing berthing and unberthing services.

The tug is 25 meters long and 13 meters wide (beam), boasting a maximum bollard pull of over 70 metric tons. 

Enap’s Supply Chain Corporate Manager, Mauricio Naveas, said: “We continue to monitor how this project, which is so important for the country’s energy and maritime transportation industry, is approaching reality. At Enap, we seek to be more sustainable and we challenge ourselves to address the energy transition, since it represents a substantial step for Chile. This first electric tugboat for our territory and all of Latin America is one of the leading initiatives in this context.”

SAAM Towage’s Sustainability and Development Manager, Pablo Cáceres, added: “We are pleased and proud of the results obtained during the system commissioning and seaworthiness testing of our electric tug. So far, everything has been well implemented and performed beyond expectations, such as the bollard pull record, where the tug achieved 72 tons of pull.

“SAAM Towage already has two electric propulsion vessels operating in Canada, making this its third. These vessels will allow us to continue advancing on the path of offering increasingly sustainable services, reducing our CO2 emissions and demonstrating our commitment to innovation and sustainability.”