SeaTech electric tugboat design clinches green light from IRS

Singapore-based maritime engineering and design company SeaTech Solutions has secured a go-ahead from the classification society Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) for its battery-electric tugboat design.

As disclosed in a social media post, SeaTech received the approval in principle (AiP) for its E-VOLT tug design from the IRS on October 28, at a maritime event held in India.

According to the Singaporean marine technology player, offering a ready-to-adopt electric tug design for both government and private use marks another push forward in lending a helping hand to Indian ports on their path to more sustainable and more efficient maritime operations

As informed, the E-VOLT tug has been designed to meet the mandates of India’s Green Tug Transition Program (GTTP), the goal of which is to slash carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and lower environmental impact by transitioning to 50% of zero-emission tug operations by 2030 and fully green operations by 2047.

The E-VOLT tug reportedly integrates an ‘advanced’ battery storage system (BESS) and an ergonomic layout engineered with ‘high efficiency’ in mind that combines sustainability, performance and safety.

Per officials from SeaTech Solutions, the approval in principle comes a year after the company shook hands with the Indian Register of Shipping on a collaboration to lay the foundation stones for design development and classification approval.

Specifically, in October 2024, SeaTech and IRS inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to design and engineer reen tugs and harbor crafts outfitted with ‘the latest’ environmentally friendly technologies. The MoU focused on both the GTTP and the Harit Nauka – Green Transition Guidelines for inland vessels as laid out by India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW).

What is more, in November 2023, SeaTech joined forces with the Indian defense shipyard Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), the Shift Energy Group and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) to develop E-VOLT 50 electric tugboats.

The agreement was part of the South Asian nation’s strategy of becoming the ‘Global Hub for Green Shipbuilding’ by 2030.