Damen Shipyards and Echandia have announced a global partnership, combining Echandia’s DNV-Certified E-LTO energy systems and battery expertise and Damen’s tugboat experience to develop a fully-electric ship-handling tug.
The electric tug will service New Zealand’s largest container and international trade terminal – the Ports of Auckland Limited (POAL).
The RSD-E Tug 2513 will be a zero-emissions derivation of the IMO Tier III-ready RSD Tug 2513, introduced by Damen in 2018.
Echandia’s E-LTO energy storage system (ESS) is a smart, scalable air-cooled modular design system based on Toshiba LTO cells. The 2.8 MWh ESS is specifically optimised for the RSD-E Tug application and will be type-certified by Bureau Veritas.
With sustainability playing an increasingly important role in maritime strategy, shipyards recognise the need to accelerate the development of sustainable, environmentally-friendly solutions to ensure that they remain competitive.
The Echandia-Damen partnership brings together sophisticated battery technology and deep skills in the shipyard industry with technology strategy and development to bring the next generation of electric tugboats to the global market.
Echandia’s CEO, Magnus Eriksson said: “The Damen-Echandia partnership is a powerful one. Damen’s understanding of and experience with the global tugboat market, combined with Echandia’s deep engineering and energy system expertise will result in a whole new market for electric tugboats and speed up the development of world-leading solutions. With over 30 shipyards and related companies worldwide, Damen has a global presence that will allow us to drive far more business impact for our end-users.”
