Robert Allan to design electric tug for China’s Tianjin Port

Canadian naval architecture company Robert Allan has been commissioned to design a battery-electric tug for Tianjin Port in Northern China.

Under the contract, Robert Allan will design an AmpRA 3600 tug that will be constructed at Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard in China.

As disclosed, the tug will be diesel-free, fully powered by batteries, with no generator sets onboard. The ship handling tug will have an overall length of 35.8 meters, a moulded breadth of 11.2 meters, and a 62-tonne bollard pull.

Chinese manufacturers will deliver the main equipment, including over 7 MWh of batteries from CATL, the electrical system from the 704 Institute, and L-drives from Nanjing High Accurate Marine Equipment.

The tug will be the first Robert Allan battery electric vessel operating in China.

Meanwhile, Southern China has recently presented its first fully electric harbour tugboat. Designed by the 605 Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and built by Lianyungang Port Holding Group, the 38-meter-long tug named Siugang Diantuo 01 entered service at the Port of Guangzhou.

The delivery of Siugang Diantuo 01 came less than four years after a unit described as China’s inaugural all-electric tugboat, Yungang Electric Tug 01, was unveiled by Lianyungang Port Holding Group.