Sanmar delivers second ElectRA 2800SX all-electric tug
Written by Nick Blenkey
Like its sisters, HaiSea Wee’git is based on the exclusive-to-Sanmar ElectRA 2800SX design from Vancouver-headquartered naval architects, Robert Allan Ltd.
Turkey’s Sanmar Shipyards has delivered the HaiSea Wee’git, the second of the three ElectRA 2800SX all-electric harbor tugs on order at the yard for Canada’s HaiSea Marine, which is majority owned by Haisla Nation in partnership with Seaspan ULC. The third tug in the series, HaiSea Brave is set for delivery later this year.
HaiSea Marine has a major contract provide harbor and escort tugboat services to tankers calling at LNG Canada’s new export facility in Kitimat, in an extremely environmentally-sensitive region of British Columbia.
Like its sisters, HaiSea Wee’git is based on the exclusive-to-Sanmar ElectRA 2800SX design from Vancouver-headquartered naval architects, Robert Allan Ltd. With approximately 70 tonnes bollard pull, a top speed of 12 knots, and 6,000 kWh of battery capacity, it will perform all ship-berthing and unberthing missions on battery power alone.
The three ElectRA 2800SX tugs will perform all ship-berthing and unberthing missions on battery power alone. Taking advantage of the clean hydroelectric power available in Kitimat, they will be able to recharge from dedicated shore charging facilities at its berth between jobs, effectively resulting in zero emissions.
Escort duties will be carried out by two larger, Robert Allan Limited LNG dual-fueled RAstar 4000 DF vessels that are also on order at Sanmar. At 40 meters in length and with over 95 tonnes of bollard pull, they will generate indirect forces of approximately 200 tonnes and will perform the majority of their missions using natural gas as their primary fuel.
HaiSea’s green tug fleet is expected to reduce emissions of CO2 by approximately 10,000 tonnes a year compared to diesel powered alternatives, along with with major reductions of NOX, SOX, CO, and particulate matter emissions. The electric harbor tugs are also exceptionally quiet, both onboard and in terms of underwater radiated noise, further enhancing the protection of both marine and wildlife in the area.
“The delivery of HaiSea Wee’git is another marker along the road to a sustainable, environmentally-friendly tug and towing industry” said Ali Gurun, chairman of Sanmar Shipyards. “The importance of the delivery of these game-changing tugs to our entire industry cannot be over-estimated. Emissions-free harbor tugs are no longer just a dream. At Sanmar, we are delighted to be at the forefront of this change. As you can imagine, we have had a lot of interest in the ElectRA series from operators around the world.”
Sanmar will deliver a further four ElectRA series tugs this year. Two will, as we reported earlier, be delivered to South America operator SAAM Towage, one to Bukser og Berging in Norway and one to Sanmar’s own fleet in Turkey.
