Maritime service provider Kotug has announced it will deploy its first Kotug E-Pusher Type M and four barges to enable the zero-emission transport of cocoa beans between the Port of Amsterdam and Zaandam in the Netherlands.
Capable of pushing barges with up to 4,000 tons of cargo, the all-electric tug will be powered by Shift Clean Energy’s (Shift) swappable battery containers and during operations the boat will also utilize Shift’s battery swapping and charging stations.
Shift’s swappable energy containers use zero-emission ESS battery systems ranging from 70kWh to 6MWh. The modular battery systems are then charged through clean power generation from renewable energy sources either on board the vessels or at the company’s dedicated PwrSwäp energy stations. The swappable system also increases vessel efficiency by enabling more uptime.
Due to the vessel’s modular design and lean assembly methods, the electric E-Pusher Type M takes half the time to build compared with conventional pusher boats, increasing its sustainability. The vessel can be built in small, medium and large sizes for inner city transportation or for operations in large inland waterways.
“The vessel is designed for transportations like these and guarantees zero-emission logistics and a significantly approved efficiency,” commented Ard-Jan Kooren, president and CEO, Kotug International. “As a result, we can support a broad range of industries to turn a part of their supply chain emission-free without extra costs. The applications of the E-Pusher are endless and vary from the transportation of (construction) waste to construction materials to all kinds of products and packages.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Kotug for the supply of the swappable batteries for the revolutionary E-Pusher Type M,” said Paul Hughes, president and co-founder, Shift Clean Energy. “With our PwrSwäp charging stations along the route, as part of the broader Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp route, we can eliminate any concerns on range anxiety. In our opinion, overcoming this important hurdle will open the door to large-scale electrification of vessels, and thus to zero-emission water transportation. Our PwrSwäp charging stations will be multi-fuel and open access and will provide an important infrastructure improvement for ports and cities as they progress their emissions reduction programs.”