E-tug set to give emissions the push in Auckland port

Set for delivery in 2021, the Damen RSD-E Tug 2513 – built by Gorinchem, Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards - will have a 70-tonne bollard pull, which matches Hauraki, the port's strongest diesel tug.

At 24.73m long and with a 6m draft, the e-tug’s 2800kWh rated battery pack will drive two azimuth thrusters with 3m diameter propellers to help the vessel carry out the same tasks as Hauraki, which consumes 120 litres of diesel an hour.

"It was important to us that a new electric tug should be able to carry out normal port operations, just like our existing diesel tugs,” said Tony Gibson, CEO of Ports of Auckland. “Our new e-tug will be able to do three to four shipping moves on a full charge, or around three to four hours work.”

Based on the Hauraki’s 2019 diesel consumption (190,926 litres, equating to 514.33 tCO2e) and ship pulls, it is expected the e-tug will use around 501,685kWh to operate in the same way, which equates to 49.02 tCO2e and an annual saving of 465.31 tCO2e.