Japan’s Seagate to introduce battery-powered tugboat
Japanese shipping company Seagate plans to introduce a hybrid electric tugboat to the Tokuyama Shimomatsu port in the southern prefecture of Yamaguchi by the first half of 2025, amid the industry's attempts to incorporate decarbonised fuels.
The tugboat will be equipped with a motor powered by a large lithium-ion battery with an unspecified capacity that can be charged with electricity on land, and a backup power generator. Seagate, a group company of domestic shipping firm K-Line, aims to gradually switch its generator fuel from heavy oil to next generation fuels like biomass. But the firm has not decided on a clear timeframe to do so.
Japan's shipping industry has gradually promoted battery-powered vessel development. Utility Kansai Electric Power is developing a small passenger vessel, targeting commissioning by 2025, and a coastal ship to carry biomass by 2023. Shipping company Asahi Tanker has commissioned a coastal oil tanker for the Tokyo Bay area.
