Denmark’s Queen, Her Majesty Queen Mary, has named Svitzer’s new battery-powered tug, Svitzer Ingrid, the first fully electric tug for both the harbour and terminal towage company and the country of Denmark.
The Queen presided at a ceremony in Copenhagen attended by more than 100 guests from the country’s shipping sector. The tug is the first of a series of electric boats which Svitzer will be commissioning in the years ahead. The company has already ordered a second tug for delivery in 2026 and is in the market for four more.
Svitzer Ingrid will be based in Helsingborg and will be able to complete about 90% of all tasks using just electrical power. The vessel has a battery capacity equivalent to 23 electric cars and batteries will be recharged with renewable energy supplied at the port. Carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 40% to 900 tonnes.
Svitzer CEO, Kasper Friis Nilaus, said: “AtSvitzer, we have an ambition to become climate neutral by 2040, so today marks an important milestone for us. The electrification of our vessels is a key part of achieving this target.”
He went on to say that the company would like to introduce more electric vessels but noted that ports do not so far have the necessary charging infrastructure.
“Ultimately, ports will need charging infrastructure similar to that for cars,” he said. “Shipping companies cannot achieve this on their own. We must work together across our industry, with policymakers and local communities, to develop viable green solutions.”
