This is a case study on how to decarbonize a tug by making it full electric. It is an homage to Damen’s electric tug ‘Sparky’. In practice, fully electrifying a vessel means to install a - very large - battery pack, in this case at least 3 MWh. This would also be the largest cost component, outweighing switchboard modifications, inverter and other electrical equipment. Cost reductions in OPEX/dayrate are high, between 50% to 90% in extreme cases.

Damen’s first all-electric harbour tug, the RSD-E Tug 2513, is a high-powered tug with 70-tonnes bollard pull, capable of manoeuvring even the largest vessels. It can undertake two or more assignments before being recharged, which takes just two hours. The battery pack size is 2,800 kWh, resulting an approximately 1,400 kW of charging power required. The battery pack is design for the vessel’s 30 year lifetime.

The patented Hull Vane® is a proven energy-saving and seakeeping device to achieve the highest level of performance on intermediate-speed vessels. The Hull Vane® consists of a transom-mounted submerged wing - or hydrofoil -, which converts energy of the stern wave into forward thrust. It reduces fuel consumption between 5-25%, emissions, powering requirements, noise and motions in waves.