Echandia has been selected to supply the battery system for India’s first fully electric tug, to be deployed at Deendayal Port Authority (Kandla Port) as part of the Government of India’s Green Tug Transition Programme.
The vessel will be equipped with a 4.4MWh Echandia battery system, enabling zero-emission operation at one of India’s most important port hubs.
The battery system is designed for a 15-year lifetime, matching the full duration of the operational agreement between Ripley Group and the Deendayal Port Authority. After winning the charter tender, Ripley Group appointed Kongsberg Maritime as system integrator. Echandia was selected through a competitive tender to supply the battery system.
A key requirement for the battery system was 30,000 cycles over the 15-year period without mid-life battery replacement. Echandia was the only supplier able to guarantee this with certainty. Delivery of the system is scheduled for Q3 2026.
Torbjörn Bäck, Echandia CEO, said: “This project is an important step for India’s green maritime transition and for high-performance electric tug operations. India is an important market for us and we are proud to deliver the battery system for India’s first fully electric tug, and to support Kandla Port and the GTTP program in building a cleaner and more efficient port ecosystem.”
The fully electric tug is the first vessel in a programme that will include 16 more deliveries by 2027. Beyond this, around 150 new electric tugs are planned, with the goal of reaching 400 new vessels by 2040.
Echandia already has a track record in India, including previous deliveries to water buses in Kochi and for the Varanasi ferry system.
Rakshith Sachitanand, Senior Strategist, Echandia, added: “As an early leader in India’s maritime electrification, Echandia is proud to play a role in accelerating the decarbonisation of ports and inland waterways, and to collaborate with the nation’s shipbuilders as they expand internationally.”
Image: First battery tug for an Indian port (source: Echandia)
