The Port of Melbourne has entered into an agreement with Danish towage provider Svitzer to introduce fully electric tugboats at the port.

Tugboats are small but powerful vessels used to tow or push larger ships within harbours, rivers, or canals.

While the immediate impact of these electric tugboats on global greenhouse gas emissions may be modest, their real value lies in offering critical technical and operational insights that could support the future development of larger electric vessels.

An illustration of Svitzer’s electric tugboat. Svitzer

The partnership—also involving investment firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and energy company Plexar Energy—will evaluate the feasibility of deploying two fully electric tugboats at the port. It will also examine the potential for establishing a dedicated renewable energy microgrid along with high-capacity charging infrastructure.

Electric propulsion is gradually gaining traction in the shipping industry, though it remains largely confined to smaller and short-sea vessels.

This month, Lloyd’s Register (LR) partnered with Australian shipbuilder Echo Marine to support the delivery of Western Australia’s first fully electric passenger ferries. In parallel, Kuok Maritime Group (KMG) has taken delivery of Eon, a fully electric harbour tugboat, in Singapore.

Source: ENGINE, https://www.engine.online/news