The Panama Canal Authority ordered 10 hybrid tractor tugboats from European shipbuilder, Astilleros Armón, with options for another 10 similar vessels, and Corvus Energy will supply the battery systems for the vessels.
The shipbuilding contract is valued at US$ 150m total for the first 10 vessels, each 30m tug capable of 70t bollard pull. The vessels will be equipped with hybrid-electric propulsion systems to reduce emissions during ship towage through the Panama Canal and while docking in Panamanian ports. Corvus Energy will provide 450 kWh of Corvus Orca Energy Storage Systems for each vessel.
Corvus Energy CEO Fredrik Witte said: “Corvus Energy is pleased to have been selected to supply the battery systems for this landmark project for the Panama Canal Authority and Astilleros Armón. The Panama Canal is a world-renowned, high-traffic waterway, and battery systems in hybrid-electric tugs have been proven to significantly decrease vessel emissions. The new fleet represents an important step in supporting the Panama Canal Authority’s sustainability strategy and ambition to reach net-zero GHG emissions by or around 2050.”
The Panama Canal expansion has resulted in larger container ships, LNG carriers, cruise ships, tankers and dry bulk carriers using the shipping shortcut between the Pacific and Caribbean – requiring the services of more powerful tugboats and pilot vessels. With the acquisition of these new vessels, the Panama Canal Authority is seeking to enhance its shiphandling capabilities, modernise its fleet and replace tugs it charters from other owners.
Worldwide, tugs were among the first vessels to adopt battery technology due to their near shore operations and ability to recharge regularly, with the first hybrid tugboats entering operation as early as 2009 followed by fully electric, zero emission tugboats in 2019. In North America, the first all-electric tugboats are entering the market. In Western Canada, both HaiSea Marine and SAAM Towage recently launched their respective fleets of all-electric tugboats. In the US, the first fully electric tugboat, the Crowley eWolf, will soon begin operations in the Port of San Diego, and several other US ports are applying for federal funding under the ‘Green Ports Program’ to invest in electric tugboats and onshore charging infrastructure.
The HaiSea Marine, SAAM Towage and Crowley eWolf electric tugs are all equipped with a Corvus Energy system, as are more than 50% of hybrid-electric and fully electric tugs worldwide. As the maritime sector increasingly pursues carbon reduction initiatives, the number of hybrid-electric and fully electric vessels worldwide is projected to grow exponentially.
Image: Tugs and a container ship near the Panama Canal (credit: Panama Canal Authority)
