Berg Propulsion will play a key role in the green transformation of India’s maritime sector, starting with the upcoming launch of two fully electric tugboats.
The vessels, under construction by the Mumbai-based KMEW Group, were commissioned by the Indian Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways as part of the country’s Green Tug Transition Program (GTTP). This plan is part of a broader set of initiatives aimed at helping India achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.
Designed by Navnautik (Naval Architects and Marine Consultants), each tugboat will have an overall length of 33.55 meters, a beam of 11.6 meters, and a draft of 4.5 meters. Equipped with advanced lithium-titanium oxide (LTO) batteries and two backup diesel generator sets, each will offer a bollard pull of 60 tonnes. Both tugboats are expected to enter service in the fourth quarter of 2027, subject to approval from the Indian Register of Shipping.
Berg Propulsion is supplying not only the electric motors and contra-rotating type L thrusters that will maximize the tugboat’s maneuverability and control, but also a complete electrical system integration package, including an intelligent propulsion system. The firm will also handle all aspects of comprehensive project management through Prasenjit Roy, recently appointed Business Developer (India), based in Kolkata, who will oversee commissioning and installation.
The compact design of Berg Propulsion’s propulsion system makes it particularly suitable for an electric tugboat, where the battery pack and energy storage system limit the space available for other equipment onboard a vessel with a crew of 12. The company made key contributions to the design process, including suggestions for optimizing space in the tugboat’s final configuration.
Amrita Singh, New Sales Account Manager, explained that “by working closely with Navnautik, KMEW, and the client, we managed to reduce the dimensions of the switchboard room by approximately 40% by locating most of the propulsion equipment in the aft section of each tugboat.”
“Berg Propulsion has been integrating electrical systems, motors, and thrusters onboard hybrid-electric vessels for many years, and this deep knowledge of engineering and design facilitated the transfer of that knowledge to the design of a fully electric tugboat. Furthermore, it allowed the designer to focus on their main objective: ensuring that everything onboard fits together perfectly,” added Singh.
“Integrating electric propulsion systems can be complex for any naval architect or designer, given the limited space onboard. This is especially true in the case of a tugboat. The compactness of Berg Propulsion’s integrated systems gave us great flexibility in incorporating them into the overall design.”
La empresa tenía una visión clara respecto al espacio que ocupaban a bordo, lo que facilitó enormemente la fase de diseño”, expressed Aniruddha Sen, of Navnautik.
Singh also commented that “by reducing fuel consumption, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving air quality in port areas, these tugboats will set an important precedent for future maritime projects across India. Following this pioneering project, Berg Propulsion looks forward to future opportunities to collaborate with new and existing partners, in order to help stakeholders in India make decisive changes in the use of propulsion technology”.
The GTTP, which aims to deploy 50 green tugboats in India’s major ports by 2030, is being developed in parallel with other maritime and offshore initiatives, including the development of the country’s first vessel equipped with a green hydrogen plant and the expansion of offshore wind farm capacity in Indian waters.
