With the help of Robert Allan, Svitzer will complete the design of its next-gen tug, to be deployed in H2 2025 and operate from the Port of Gothenburg.
The works will now include scope considerations for vessel construction and onboard equipment selection necessary to build the vessel.
The newbuild will use an electrical propulsion system with methanol fuel cells and batteries, delivering a self-sustained tug with longer endurance and fewer operational constraints than a purely battery-powered vessel. Secondary methanol-fueled generators will provide backup power if required without the need for a secondary fuel.
Svitzer's calculations indicate that the methanol hybrid fuel cell tug running on green methanol would prevent emitting approximately 1.3kt of CO2 annually vs a fossil-fuel-based vessel of the same dimensions within the company's global fleet.
The Port of Gothenburg put forward operational regulations for methanol bunkering in 2022, and this year Stena Line's Stena Germanica became the world's first to undergo vessel to a non-tanker methanol bunkering.
"Svitzer has been delivering safe and efficient towage services to customers in the Port of Gothenburg for decades. In addition to its ambitious emission reduction targets, the Port of Gothenburg has already gathered valuable experiences regarding the safe and convenient bunkering of methanol. The port's experience and position as an emerging methanol bunker hub, combined with our long-standing collaboration and relationship, make the Port of Gothenburg an obvious location for us to deploy the world's first methanol hybrid fuel cell tug," Mathias Jonasson, Managing Director for Scandinavia & Germany at Svitzer, said.
Göran Eriksson, the Port of Gothenburg's CEO, commented, "The Port of Gothenburg has set ambitious targets to reduce shipping emissions within the port area by 70% by 2030. To deliver on that ambition, the transition of shipping lines from fossil fuels to more sustainable fuels such as green methanol is critically important. Svitzer's decision to design and construct the world's first methanol hybrid fuel cell tug is a major milestone that sets the example for the long-term decarbonisation of global towage services. We're excited to welcome this pioneering new vessel to the Port of Gothenburg when it enters into operation in 2025."
Jim Hyslop, Director, Project Development Principle at Robert Allan, also shared, "Robert Allan Ltd. is excited to be working with Svitzer to develop the world's first Methanol Hybrid Fuel Cell Tug. Based on the award-winning TRAnsverse design, the innovative propulsion system on this new tug will enable operation completely free of fossil fuels. This is a major step forward in the path to decarbonising the tug industry, and we are extremely proud to be at the forefront of developments in these new technologies."
Photo: Svitzer