US companies Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) and Miller Marine have teamed to design and construct a fully electric truckable tug, which is purposefully designed as a multi-functional utility boat servicing marine construction sites, tending dredges, tending buoys, short range ferry operations and other near shore operations such as crew transportation or line handling.
EBDG will incorporate an electrical propulsion system into Miller Marine’s proven truckable tug design. Once the design phase is complete, Miller Marine will build the vessel.
The vessel has an overall length of just under 26ft (8m) and will be powered by two permanent magnet motors with a total power of 300+ kW (400+ HP). Shore power will be used to recharge the vessel’s battery banks overnight, taking no more than eight hours. On a full charge, the vessel will operate with contingency for 12+ hours. A closed-loop fluid cooling system will provide temperature control of the batteries, motors and electronics, maximising their lifetime. This configuration is suited for shallow and silty water operations.
The electric tug is intended to support public agency and private enterprise marine construction operations and short-range logistics.
