SAAM Towage Orders Electric Tug Pair for Its Canadian Operations

SAAM Towage announced it has closed an agreement with Teck & Neptune Terminals that will allow the deployment of the first two electric tugs to its fleet.

The ElectRA 2300SX tugs are designed by Vancouver-based Robert Allan Ltd. and will be built at Sanmar Shipyards in Turkey.

Scheduled for delivery during the second half of 2023, the new tugs will each be powered by two separate battery lithium-ion energy storage systems, making them 100% electric and zero-emissions ships. They will be charged by British Columbia’s hydroelectric power grid. At full capacity, the new units will reduce 2,400 tons of greenhouse gases (GHG) each year. 

"With Teck and Neptune Terminals, SAAM Towage has found value aligned partners who want to drive sustainable environmental changes through innovation," said Sander Bikkers, president and country manager of SAAM Towage Canada. "This partnership is based on a shared commitment to do our part to address the global challenge of climate change by reducing our carbon footprint. In addition to this, the tugs will significantly reduce the impact of underwater noise, which is another concern in British Columbia's waterways."

"With an overall length of 23 meters and a 70 tons bollard pull performance, the tugs will be highly capable of delivering services to all terminals in the Port of Vancouver," Bikkers added.

SAAM Towage's managing director, Hernán Gómez, said, "This alliance is significant for both companies, as it gives financial and technical viability to a common strategic objective: to drive innovation and development for an increasingly sustainable operation. This is how we want to continue projecting SAAM Towage's leadership into the future in each of the 13 countries where we are present and the ones to  come: with partners like Teck, one of the most prestigious global mining companies; with the renowned Sanmar shipyard in charge of the construction and with the state-of-the-art design of Robert Allan."