Canada’s HaiSea Marine, a joint venture majority-owned by the Haisla Nation in partnership with Seaspan ULC, has welcomed the second emissions-free battery electric tug built by Sanmar Shipyards in Türkiye.
The tug named HaiSea Wee’git is joining its sister vessel HaiSea Wamis, which was delivered earlier this year, to provide harbour and escort services to tankers calling at LNG Canada’s new export facility in Kitimat.
The third electric tug HaiSea Brave will be delivered later this year.
Combined with HaiSea’s two Sanmar-built dual-fuel (LNG and diesel) escort tugs, the electric-powered harbour tugs will comprise what is said to be the greenest tugboat fleet in the world.
HaiSea Wee’git is based on Sanmar’s ElectRA 2800SX design from Vancouver-headquartered naval architect Robert Allan Ltd. With approximately 70 tonnes of bollard pull, a top speed of 12 knots, and 6.000 kWh of battery capacity, it will perform all ship-berthing and unberthing missions on battery power alone.
Taking advantage of the hydroelectric power available in Kitimat, it will be able to recharge from dedicated shore charging facilities at its berth between jobs.
HaiSea’s green tug fleet is expected to reduce emissions of CO2 by approximately 10.000 tonnes per annum compared to diesel-powered alternatives, with major reductions of NOX, SOX, CO, and particulate matter as well.
In the meantime, LNG Canada, a joint venture of Shell, Petronas, PetroChina, Mitsubishi Corporation and Korea Gas Corporation, is preparing a berthing facility for these tugs and advancing the construction of the country’s first LNG export facility.
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