ABB is to power Japan’s first electric tugboat for use in the ports of Tokyo Bay by towage specialist Tokyo Kisen.
The Taiga is the result of a collaboration between Tokyo Kisen and e5 Lab, a Japanese consortium which plans and develops fully electric vessels. It will be equipped with ABB’s Onboard DC Grid complete with a high battery capacity for zero-emission operations.
“ABB is honoured to be involved in such a prominent project to power the first electric tugboat for Japan,” said Munekazu Tanikawa, local division manager, ABB Marine & Ports.
“Our hybrid and electric solutions have established a strong reputation in the short-distance shipping segment, now further strengthened by this prestigious opportunity in a highly competitive market.”
The tug will have 2.5 megawatt-hour battery systems supplied and integrated by ABB, which act as spinning reserve back-up power to prevent prolonged outages. The tug’s future-proof design also enables it to achieve emission-free operations by switching to alternative energy sources as technologies mature.
ABB is also supplying its Onboard DC Grid system which allows flexible integration of energy sources and loads. By using Onboard DC Grid, the tug’s engines will be able to run at variable speeds for optimised economy at each load level. The batteries are able to provide power to the tug’s propulsion system almost instantaneously, where ABB’s Power and Energy Management System will control the overall power distribution and increase fault tolerance.
Constructed at the Kanagawa Dockyard at Kobe, Taiga is due for delivery by the end of the year.
