K Line subsidiary to lead development of new electric tug

Japanese shipping company Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line), through its consolidated subsidiary Daito Corporation, will lead the development of a new electric tug powered by a large-capacity lithium-ion battery.

Development of the new tug will be undertaken in collaboration with Japanese shipbuilders Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) and Daizo Corporation.

The tug will be equipped with a 3.2MWh battery and will operate on green electricity. K Line expects the use of battery power will significantly reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to conventional tugs fitted with heavy fuel oil engines.

Through a newly developed hull design and automatic control of onboard power demands utilising the latest IoT technologies, the energy consumption is optimised, enabling energy-efficient and high-performance operations of the vessel. This results in a reduction of approximately 60 per cent in CO2 emissions compared to traditional tugs.

The tug will be built at Daizo Corporation’s facilities while KHI will supply and integrate the control and propulsion systems. Following delivery in May 2027, it will provide towage services for vessels at the ports of Yokohama and Kawasaki.