Daito to build second electric tugboat

Signing ceremony. (Credit: Daito Corporation)

Daito Corporation (Daito), a consolidated subsidiary of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (K-Line) is building a 260 gross ton-class electric tugboat (EV Tugboat No. 2). This will be Daito’s second electric tugboat (EV Tugboat No. 1), following the 199 gross ton-class electric tugboat 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 model for future electric tugboats. The vessel will use a new DC power distribution system that efficiently supplies propulsion and onboard electrical power and be equipped with a 4,400 PS motor, whose output is higher than the 3,600 PS 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. Accumulated operational data will be utilized to optimize power supply and reduce the vessel’s use of fossil fuels. 
 
This initiative has also been selected to be included in the subsidized Innovative Navigation Efficiency and Transition to Non-Fossil Energy for Coastal Shipping program jointly administered by the 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 Japan’s coastal shipping industry. 
 
EV Tugboat No. 2 will be built by Hongawara Shipyard Co. Ltd., with Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. supplying and integrating the control and propulsion systems and TOA Corporation designing and constructing the shoreside charging equipment. The vessel is scheduled for completion in July 2028. Together with EV Tugboat No. 1, which is expected to enter service earlier, it will provide towage services for ships calling at Tokyo Bay ports and support the development of carbon-neutral ports.
 
The project is part of the company’s broader efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and evaluate low-carbon vessel technologies. K Line said it plans to continue developing and implementing technologies that support lower-emission and decarbonized vessel operations.