AYK Energy gets Contract for Battery-Methanol Tug

AYK Energy was contracted to manufacture and supply the 6MWh battery that will power the world’s first battery-methanol tug, to be built at Uzmar for Svitzer. This is AYK’s first contract with Uzmar. 

The 6MWh battery-powered tug is planned to be deployed in Gothenburg and provide zero-emission services across a quarter of Svitzer’s operations in the Swedish port. The tug is based on Svitzer’s TRAnsverse tug design and the battery will be supported by dual fuel methanol engines for back-up and range extension.

The escort duty tug is expected to conduct more than 90% of its operations using its battery-electric powertrain. The vessel’s design will also allow the battery-powered tug to operate more efficiently than internal combustion engine powered tugs of a traditional design. With a gross tonnage of approximately 806 tonnes, the tug will be capable of achieving speeds of up to 14 knots.

“The launch of a first-of-its-kind newbuild project with our partners at Uzmar Shipyard is a significant milestone for our decarbonization ambitions," said Gareth Prowse, Head of Decarbonization at Svitzer. "The battery electric tug will mean we can deliver our services to customers in the Port of Gothenburg with significantly lower carbon emissions, and still to the highest operational and safety standards.”

The battery for the new build Svizer tug will be built at AYK’s 5000 sq. m. automated manufacturing plant in in Zhuhai China which opened in 2023. The plant has a production capacity of 300MWH a year with the ability to expand to 1GWH.

AYK Energy founder Chris Kruger aboard H2 Barge 2. Image courtesy AYK