Zhenjiang Shipyard has officially begun construction of a new electric battery-powered tug for Tianjin Port Towing Company with a steel cutting ceremony held at their facility in Jiangsu Province, China. Designed by Robert Allan Ltd., this vessel is the company’s first tug to feature electric battery propulsion and marks the introduction of the AmpRA series for operation in China.
The pure battery-electric tug will be powered by a 7,315 kWh battery system, setting a new benchmark for battery capacity among tugs under 500 gross tons. It represents the third generation of smart ships in Tianjin Port Towing Company’s fleet and will carry advanced smart ship notations:
- i-Ship(M) – advanced machinery systems
- i-Ship(E) – energy efficiency
- i-Ship(I) – integrated platform capabilities
- i-Ship(T) – towing operations
The main equipment will be supplied by leading Chinese manufacturers, including over 7 MWh of batteries from CATL, the electrical system from the 704 Institute, and L-drives from Nanjing High Accurate Marine Equipment Co., Ltd.
The AmpRA 3600 series electric tug key vessel particulars:
- Length overall: 35.8 m
- Breadth, moulded: 11.2 m
- Depth, least moulded: 5.2 m
- Bollard Pull: 62 tonnes
- Accommodations: 7 persons
About Robert Allan Ltd.
Robert Allan Ltd. is an independent, privately-owned firm of Consulting Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, established since 1928 in Vancouver, Canada. Work is centred on the design of commercial working vessels of all types, with a particular focus on the international tugboat market. In addition we design fireboats, research vessels, crewboats, barges, government service vessels (such as icebreakers and nav-aids tenders), shallow-draft vessels of all types for inland transportation, and a diverse range of specialized craft for almost any purpose as well as other floating things.
