The Japanese shipping conglomerate Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (K LINE) has announced that their consolidated subsidiary Daito Corporation (Daito), has ordered an electric tugboat powered by a large-capacity lithium-ion battery.
Last Friday Daito held a signing ceremony for a collaboration agreement regarding the construction of the electric vessel (EV) tugboat with Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (KHI) and Daizo Corporation (Daizo).
This newbuilt EV tugboat is equipped with a high-capacity battery of 3.2 MWh and operates by using green electricity charged into the battery.
By using battery power, it significantly reduces fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions compared to conventional tugboats equipped with heavy fuel oil engines, according to K Line.
This initiative are a part of the subsidized, Grant Program for the Promotion of Energy Efficiency and Non-Fossil Energy Transition in the Transportation Sector (Innovative Navigation Efficiency and Transition to Non-Fossil Energy for Coastal Shipping), a collaboration between the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, playing a significant role in the coastal shipping industry’s environmental initiatives.
K LINE informs that the ordered EV tugboat is being constructed at shipbuilder Daizo with the cooperation of KHI providing the control and propulsion systems and its integration.
The completion of the newbuilding is scheduled for May 2027, and after delivery it will offer towage service for vessels at Yokohama Port and Kawasaki Port.
