Americas News
100% Electric Tugs Launched to Service Port of Vancouver
SAAM Towage has launched the first 100% electric tugboats that will service the Port of Vancouver, British Columbia.
WIth zero emissions attributed directly to the vessel, they are also among the first 100% electric tugs in the world.
The official launch of two such tags took place at the Canadian port on April 10 with the vessels set to start operations in May.
“In all the world, there are only a handful of electric tugboats in operation. We’ll now see two of them hard at work in Vancouver’s magnificent harbour,” said David Eby, premier of British Columbia.
“The reduction in pollution from these electric tugs is the equivalent of taking 600 vehicles off the road. The future is happening right now in British Columbia.”
Electrification is seen as a key way to reduce emissions from harbour craft and, where practical, other vessels. However, critics highlight the importance of considering how the electricity is generated to charge such vessels in order to understand the full lifecycle emissions of such craft.
The green credentials of the SAAM Towage tugs operating in Vancouver are helped considerably by the fact almost 90% of electricity in British Columbia is produced from hydroelectric sources.
