Latin America’s first electric tugboat en route to Chile

Latin America’s first electric tugboat, built by Sanmar Shipyards in Türkiye for Chile’s state-owned company Empresa Nacional del Petróleo (Enap) and harbor towage services provider SAAM, has embarked on a voyage to Chile.

Following sea trials and bollard pull testing, the tug began its journey from Tuzla in Türkiye to Puerto Montt in Chile onboard a specially-designed vessel, BBC Olympus, equipped with two high-capacity cranes.

The journey to Puerto Montt is estimated to last around 45 days, after which the tug will sail to Puerto Chacabuco in Aysén Region to begin a dry run period. The vessel will provide berthing and unberthing services.

Designed by Robert Allan, the tug is 25 meters long and 13 meters wide (beam), boasting a maximum bollard pull of over 70 metric tons. 

Thanks to its lithium-ion batteries, it is 100% electric and zero-emission, as it will be powered by renewable energy, SAAM Towage stated.

SAAM Towage’s Sustainability and Development Manager, Pablo Cáceres, commented: “Our electric tug is getting closer every day. This is the third such unit in our fleet and the first for Latin America. It is particularly symbolic because it is a step forward in our strategy for the future: we want to grow in partnership with our customers with increasingly sustainable operations.”

Enap’s Corporate Supply Chain Manager, Mauricio Naveas, added: “This tugboat is one of the paths we are following to help protect the environment and decarbonize the country, in addition to incorporating LNG trucks, producing our first batch of diesel from used cooking oil and developing infrastructure for green hydrogen in Magallanes. Enap has been the energy that moves Chile for 80 years. This tug, which will support our operations in Puerto Chacabuco, reflects our vision of the future and how we are taking on the challenges of the energy transition.”

To remind, Enap and SAAM Towage inked a service agreement to make Chile the first country in Latin America with an electric, emission-free tugboat at the beginning of 2024 and the vessel was launched in December 2024.