Kongsberg Maritime to supply set of solutions for India’s ‘first’ electric tugboat

September 5, 2025, by Sara Kosmajac

Norway-based marine technology company Kongsberg Maritime has clinched a contract to deliver a fully integrated equipment package intended for the ‘first-ever’ electric tugboat in India.

The project is said to represent the “world’s first” full electric tug integration, marking a “tremendous” leap forward both in India’s Green Tug Transition Program (GTTP) and in the South Asia nation’s overarching maritime decarbonization ambitions.

The tug in question, designed by the marine engineering and naval architecture firm NavNautik, is envisioned to have a 60-ton bollard pull. It is planned to be handed over and commissioned in the last quarter of 2026, upon which the unit is to operate at Deendayal Port in Gujarat, one of the ‘key’ sites under the GTTP initiative, which has been supported by the Indian government.

As informed, the contract was awarded by the shipbuilding and repair company Mandovi Drydocks in partnership with Ripley Group, a logistics provider, port developer, and ship owner on the east coast of India.

According to Kongsberg Maritime, the scope of supply comprises the permanent magnet (PM) driven azimuth thrusters, energy storage (ESS), automation and control (K-Chief and K-Chief PMS), as well as digital solutions (Vessel Insight and Vessel Performance) and full system incorporation.

The solutions are intended for a range of e-tug projects, with the project reportedly being the Norwegian marine technology player’s first full-electric tug contract.

“Electric tugboats are a significantly different vessel from traditional mechanical tugs, and owners and yards need confidence in these new emission-reducing technologies,” Mark Callaway, Senior Sales Manager, Tug Systems, Kongsberg Maritime, commented.

The green tug program up close

India’s Green Tug Transition Program was formally launched in August 2024 by the Union Minister of Port Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Sarbananda Sonowal, though it was initially announced back in 2023. GTTP is described as a ‘pivotal’ part of the country’s ‘Panch Karma Sankalp’ initiative, which is focused on green shipping and digitalization.

The program, representing an investment of around $120.5 million, aims to transition harbour tugboats to zero- or low-emission vessels powered by clean technologies—including battery-electric, hybrid systems, methanol, green hydrogen, and ammonia. More specifically, the goal is to shift to 50% of zero-emission tug operations by 2030 and fully green operations by 2047.

The first phase of the endeavor began in October last year and is set to continue until the end of 2027. During this stage, four ports, namely Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, Deendayal Port Authority, Paradip Port Authority and V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority, are expected to procure (or charter) at least two green tugboats each.

Per MoPSW, the first set of the units will be battery-electric, with provisions for adopting other emerging green technologies such as hybrid, methanol, and green hydrogen as the industry evolves.

Beyond just GTTP, in March 2025, the Indian government said that it would splash approximately $23.8 billion to revamp its maritime industry and expand domestic shipbuilding capabilities. The nation also announced the establishment of its first non-banking financial company (NBFC) for the maritime sector in July, which would seek to ensure sustainable development within the sector.

View on Offshore-energy.