Newly ordered battery-electric tug to ‘strengthen’ Svitzer’s green towage push

January 15, 2025, by Sara Kosmajac

Denmark-based towage and marine services provider Svitzer has placed an order for a brand-new battery-powered tug with the aim of delivering near-zero emissions for towage services in the Øresund Strait, which draws the border lines between Sweden and Denmark.

As informed, the new tug will be delivered to Svitzer by Turkish shipbuilder Sanmar Shipyards in the second half of 2025.

According to Svitzer, the new azimuth stern drive (ASD) tug is based on the design of naval architect Robert Allan. It will feature a length of 25 meters, a draft of 5.6 meters, and a bollard pull of 70 tons. Owing to its 1,818 kWh battery, the newbuild is projected to operate ‘safely and efficiently’ using electric power only.

In addition to these specifications, the tug will reportedly possess two backup generators, ‘extended’ endurance as well as firefighting capabilities.

“In recent years, we have experienced an increasing demand for green towage services in Scandinavia, including the Øresund Strait. At the same time, we have committed to doing our part to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in the industry by 2030. Getting a new battery-powered tug solves both challenges as we can continue to provide reliable and safe services to our customers while reducing the carbon footprint,” Mathias Jonasson, Managing Director, Scandinavia, Svitzer, emphasized.

Tamer Geçkin, R&D and Electrical Systems Director at Sanmar Shipyards added: “We are honored to support Svitzer in decarbonizing their fleet and building this new high-performing battery tug. It has all the quality characteristics expected from a premium tug built at Sanmar Shipyards; a big, power-efficient battery powers it. Thereby, it represents the future for many tug operations.”

Last year, specifically in mid-September, the Danish player took another step further within the green shipping landscape, having signed a contract with the Turkish shipyard Uzmar Shipbuilding for the construction of the ‘world first’ battery electric methanol tug.

Order placed for ‘world’s first’ battery electric methanol tug

Boasting a gross tonnage of roughly 806 tonnes and powered by a 6MWh battery system, this tug is anticipated to conduct up to 25% of Svitzer’s work in the Swedish Port of Gothenburg.

Around a month later, Danish firm Nordhavn Power Solutions was commissioned to supply two methanol-based generator systems for a larger hybrid solution on Svitzer’s new tugboat, slated for a handover in the first half of 2026.