Daito Corporation, a consolidated subsidiary of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, is to build a 260 gross ton class electric tugboat, designated EV Tugboat No. 2. It will be Daito’s second electric tugboat, following the 199 gross ton class EV Tugboat No. 1, which is under construction.
EV Tugboat No. 2 will be a high-output vessel designed to accommodate a wide range of towage operations in Tokyo Bay, and is intended to serve as a standard model for future electric tugboats. The vessel will use a new DC power distribution system to supply propulsion and onboard electrical power. It will be equipped with a 4,400ps motor, a higher output than the 3,600ps motor fitted to EV Tugboat No. 1.
The vessel’s auxiliary generator, which will operate when battery capacity is insufficient, will be controlled by a condition monitoring system (CMS), with accumulated operational data used to optimize power supply and reduce the use of fossil fuel.
The project has been selected for inclusion in the Innovative Navigation Efficiency and Transition to Non-Fossil Energy for Coastal Shipping program, jointly administered by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
EV Tugboat No. 2 will be constructed by Hongawara Ship Yard, with Kawasaki Heavy Industries providing and integrating the control and propulsion systems, and TOA Corporation designing and constructing the shoreside charging equipment. Completion is scheduled for July 2028.
Together with EV Tugboat No. 1, which will enter service earlier, the vessel will carry out towage operations for ships calling at Tokyo Bay ports, and contribute to the development of carbon-neutral ports.
The project forms part of the “K” Line Group’s long-term environmental policy, “K” Line Environmental Vision 2050: Blue Seas for the Future, under which the group is advancing research, development and implementation of environmental technologies.
In related news, Echandia to supply batteries for two electric tugs in India’s Green Tug Transition Program