Miller Marine to Build Fully Electric Truckable Tug

Seattle-based naval architecture firm Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) announced it is working with Miller Marine, a marine metal fabrication shop in Deltaville, Va., to design and construct a fully electric truckable tug.

The versatile vessel is designed as a multi-functional utility boat servicing marine construction sites, tending dredges, tending buoys, short range ferry operations and other near shore operations such as crew transportation or line handling, the designer said.

EBDG will incorporate an electrical propulsion system into Miller Marine's proven truckable tug design. Once the design phase is complete, Miller Marine will build the vessel at its 15,000 square foot production facility.

The vessel has an overall length of just under 26 feet and will be powered by two permanent magnet motors with a total power of 300+ kW (400+ HP). Shore power will be used to recharge the vessel's battery banks overnight, taking no more than eight hours. On a full charge, the vessel will operate with contingency for 12+ hours. A closed-loop fluid cooling system will provide temperature control of the batteries, motors and electronics, maximizing their lifetime. This configuration is ideally suited for shallow and silty water operations.

The electric tug is intended to support public agency and private enterprise marine construction operations and short-range logistics.