Indian shipbuilder Knowledge Marine & Engineering Works has selected Echandia to supply battery systems for two fully electric tugs within India’s Green Tug Transition Programme GTTP).
The vessels will operate at Visakhapatnam Port Authority and VOC Port Authority in Tuticorin. This order is said to strengthen Echandia’s position in India’s emerging electric tug market and marks the first Indian deployment of the recently launched Echandia Core battery system. Both battery systems are designed for a 15-year service life, matching the full concession period of the vessels. This removes the need for a planned mid-life battery replacement and avoids the associated cost, downtime and operational disruption during the contract period.
Echandia claims an established track record in India, where the company’s LTO-based battery systems have powered 23 Kochi Water Metro ferries since 2023. Following Echandia’s first GTTP project at Kandla Port, these two new tugs are scheduled to enter operation during the second quarter of 2027. The vessels will be designed by Navnautik Technical Services of Kolkata as is the vessel to be operated at Kandla Port.
Saurabh Daswani, MD Knowledge Marine & Engineering Works, said: “We selected Echandia based on their proven marine references, strong technical capabilities, and commitment to lifecycle support. For us, long-term reliability, safety, low total cost of ownership, and response were key decision factors, and Echandia demonstrated strength in each of these areas.”
To support customers over the long term, Echandia has expanded its local presence in India through partnerships that secure service access for the full life of each vessel.
India’s GTTP is one of the country’s key initiatives to reduce emissions from port operations and accelerate the transition from conventional diesel-powered harbour tugs to cleaner alternatives. For tug operators, the economics of electrification depend not only on battery capacity at delivery, but on how the system performs throughout the full operating period.
Rakshith Sachitanand, Senior Strategist, Echandia, added: “India is a long-term market for Echandia, and we have invested in local presence to support customers across the full life of their vessels. For tug operators, operational availability is the deciding factor. Our LTO chemistry and battery management system always gives crews an accurate state of charge and maximum bollard pull, so there are no surprises in operation. Once operators experience that consistency, confidence in electric tugs follow.”
Image: GTTP Echandia tug (source: Echandia)
