ABB to power Japan’s first electric tugboat for efficient and sustainable operations
7th July 2022
ABB, contracted by IHI Power Systems Co, has developed an electric tug for the ports of Tokyo Bay for Japanese towage specialist Tokyo Kisen Co. Ltd
The newbuild tug will feature ABB’s award-winning power system platform Onboard DC Grid™, which enables simple, flexible and functional integration of energy sources and loads
The first vessel of its kind to operate in Japan, Taiga supports net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emission goals without compromising performance
The electric tugboat Taiga is the result of a collaboration between Tokyo Kisen Co., Ltd. and e5 Lab Inc., a Japanese consortium with the purpose of planning and developing fully electric vessels.
Constructed at the Kanagawa Dockyard Co at Kobe, the tug is due for delivery by end of December 2022, becoming the first vessel of its kind to operate in Japanese waters.
It is equipped with ABB’s Onboard DC Grid™, complete with a high battery capacity.
Designed to enable zero-emission operations in harborside environments, the tug delivers superior performance while supporting Japan’s ambition of achieving net-zero GHG emissions from international shipping by 2050.
Tokyo Kisen’s harbour tug will be used to manoeuvre other vessels by pushing or towing them with 2.5-megawatt-hour battery systems supplied and integrated by ABB, reducing greenhouse gas emissions on a day-to-day basis, and acting as spinning reserve back-up power to prevent prolonged outages.
The tug’s future-proof configuration also enables it to achieve emission-free operations by integrating alternative energy sources as technologies mature.
