VESSEL REVIEW | Ninggang Diantuo 1 – Electric tug to serve inland ports in China's Jiangsu province

China's Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard recently handed over a new tug to local operator the Nanjing Port Group. Named Ninggang Diantuo 1 (宁港电拖1; “Ninggang Electric Tug 1”), the vessel is one of the first pure battery-powered ASD tugs operating in the Yangtze River Basin.

Ample battery power for daily towing operations

Because of the low emissions made possible by the electric propulsion, the tug is ideal for operation in inland ports where it will primarily be used to provide berthing/unberthing assistance for large ships.

Classed by China Classification Society, the tug has an LOA of 36.5 metres (120 feet), a beam of 10 metres (33 feet), a draught of three metres (9.8 feet), a depth of 4.5 metres (15 feet), a gross tonnage of 417, and a total installed power of 3,000 kW (4,000 hp) that will deliver a top speed of 13 knots and a bollard pull in excess of 52 tonnes.

Promoting low-emission inland water transport for Jiangsu province

The tug boasts high levels of comfort, low energy consumption, and reduced noise, allowing it to satisfy the requirements of zero emission and silent navigation in port areas. A full charge of the batteries will enable the tug to operate continuously for up to eight hours.

Ninggang Diantuo 1 recently completed a series of trials to clear it for operational service. According to Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard, the tests showed that the tug either met or exceeded all the design requirements.

Development of the tug is in line with a broader initiative that seeks to introduce low-emission vessels into service in the inland waters of Jiangsu province over a period of three years.