The battery-powered tugboat was delivered by Turkey’s Sanmar Shipyard. Image Credit: Svitzer

Maritime services firm Svitzer has taken delivery of its first fully electric tugboat from Turkey’s Sanmar shipyard.

The tugboat has a battery capacity of 1,808 kWh and can achieve a bollard pull of 70 tonnes, Sanmar said in a statement on its website on Wednesday.

So far, the shipyard has built nine fully electric tugboats, with another six more under construction.

“This vessel combines advanced electric propulsion, a simplified operational setup, and impressive performance – all while significantly reducing environmental impact,” İpek Gürün, corporate strategy director of Sanmar, said.

Kasper Karlsen, chief operating officer at Svitzer, told Ship & Bunker in an interview earlier this year that biofuels and battery power will play key roles in decarbonising its tug fleet.