Rijkswaterstaat has launched the research and development phase of Power2Tow, funding multiple concepts to accelerate maritime decarbonisation
Rijkswaterstaat has officially launched the research and development phase of its pioneering Power2Tow programme, an innovation partnership aimed at developing virtually emission-free emergency relief tugs and the charging infrastructure needed to support their operation both at sea and ashore.
The milestone follows the signing of cooperation agreements with three industry consortia by Director General Martin Wijnen on 30 June 2026, enabling each team to begin developing and refining its proposed solution.
What makes Power2Tow unique is that we enter the research and development phase together with the consortia. Within the innovation partnership, all three consortia receive the assignment and compensation to further develop and elaborate their envisioned innovative solutions.
This approach allows for various technological directions and innovative ideas. In doing so, the consortia are working on solutions for the vessels, the charging infrastructure at sea and onshore, and the operational deployability of the entire system.
During the research and development phase, the proposals are further elaborated, tested, and evaluated. Ultimately, one consortium remains that will actually realize the project for us. In this case, we can proceed directly to awarding the contract for construction and operation, without going through a new tendering procedure.
Each consortium consists of a collaboration of various companies and/or organizations, each with its own expertise. The consortia selected by Rijkswaterstaat are:
- Kotug International BV, IHC Defense BV and Bluewater Energy Services BV.
- Multraship Ocean Towage BV, Damen Shipbuilding & Cooperation BV and Stillstrom A/S.
- Smit Terminals Europe BV and Smit Salvage BV.
With Power2Tow, we are working on future-proof emergency towing assistance in the North Sea. The project involves the development of 3 electric Emergency Response Towing Vessels (ERTVs), which can charge at sea using wind energy and, among other things, protect wind farms from collisions with vessels in distress.
The development of charging infrastructure at sea and onshore, as well as the provision of services for a period of 25 years, are also part of Power2Tow. The vessels will sail electrically as much as possible. Sustainable e-methanol is used for emergency towing operations. This provides a significant boost to the further sustainability of shipping.
Power2Tow is part of the Fleet Renewal program for the Central Government Shipping Company. Within this program, we are working on the sustainable renewal of the central government fleet.
Furthermore, Power2Tow gives substance to the maritime sector agenda, ‘No guts, no Hollands glorie!’, in which it was agreed to give more explicit weight to the strategic interests of the maritime manufacturing industry in government procurement processes.
The Power2Tow project is being implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, the Coast Guard, and the interdepartmental National Management Agency for the Maritime Manufacturing Industry.
