Daito Corporation (Daito), a subsidiary of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (‘K’ Line), is to build a 260gt electric tugboat (‘EV Tugboat No 2’).
This will be Daito’s second electric tugboat, following the 199gt electric tugboat, ‘EV Tugboat No 1’, currently under construction. EV Tugboat No 2 will be a high-output vessel designed to accommodate a wide range of towage operations in Tokyo Bay. It is intended to be a standard for future electric tugboats. The vessel will use a new DC power distribution system that efficiently supplies propulsion and onboard electrical power and will be equipped with a 4,400ps motor, higher than the 3,600ps motor in EV Tugboat No 1. In addition, EV Tugboat No 2’s auxiliary generator, which will operate when battery capacity is insufficient, will be controlled by a condition monitoring system (CMS). Accumulated operational data will be used to optimise power supply and reduce the vessel’s use of fossil fuels.
The initiative has been selected to be included in the subsidised ‘innovative navigation efficiency and transition to non-fossil energy for coastal shipping’ programme jointly administered by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It is expected that the initiative will contribute to environmental initiatives in the Japanese coastal shipping industry.
EV Tugboat No 2 will be constructed by Hongawara Shipyard with the cooperation of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, which will provide and integrate the control and propulsion systems, and TOA Corporation, which will design and construct the shoreside charging equipment. Completion is scheduled for July 2028. Together with EV Tugboat No 1, which will enter service earlier, the vessel will engage in towage operations for ships calling at Tokyo Bay ports and contribute to the development of carbon-neutral ports.
Under the Group’s long-term environmental policy, the ‘K’ Line Group is advancing research, development and implementation of environmental technologies. The group will continue to work to promote initiatives to move toward the implementation of low-carbon and decarbonised operations.
Image: EV Tugboat No 2 (source: ‘K’ Line)
