SAAM Towage’s first electric tugs reach Canada

The first electric tugs of the SAAM Towage’s fleet, built by SANMAR Shipyards, have reached the Port of Vancouver in Canada.

The tugs were purchased as part of an agreement between SAAM Towage, Teck and Neptune, as part of their strategy to acquire vessels that would have high environmental quality and reduce GHG emissions while also cutting underwater noise. The deal was announced in October 2022.

After completing sea acceptance trials, the vessels started their journey from the Port of Tuzla.

The ElectRA 2300SX vessels were designed by Robert Allan and have an overall length of 23 meters and 70 tons of bollard pull.

At full capacity, the new ElectRA 2300SX units will collectively cut greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 2,400 tons each year, according to SAAM Towage.

“We continue to make progress on this milestone for SAAM Towage, which is part of our strategy to drive innovation and development for increasingly sustainable operations. These tugs, which are the result our alliance with Teck and Neptune Terminals, show our commitment to seek alternatives in our industry to reduce the carbon footprint and support the fight against global climate change,” said SAAM’s Towage Managing Director, Hernán Gómez.

Recently, SAAM Towage joined forces with Empresa Nacional del Petróleo (ENAP) that will make Chile the first country in Latin America with an electric, emission-free tugboat.