'Next Generation Lithuania': KOTUG to deliver first all-electric pusher tug for Baltic states

Lithuanian Inland Waterways Authority (VVKD) has contracted Dutch towage and maritime company KOTUG International to deliver the first fully electric pusher tug to operate in the Baltic states.

The contract, which is a part of Lithuania’s strategic investment in a more sustainable waterway network, was awarded after an international public tender and approval from Lithuania’s National Security Coordination Commission.

The electric pusher tug, designed and engineered in the Netherlands, will be built at the Padmos Shipyard in Stellendam.

Following the testing phase, the vessel is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2026.

As informed, the pusher tug, EPUSHER-L, will operate on the Nemunas River and is designed for cargo transport using barges supplied by VVKD.

With an endurance of up to 50 hours and a range of 300 kilometers on a single charge, the vessel is expected to eliminate up to 91,500 kilograms of CO₂ emissions annually by switching from diesel to electric.

The project is co-funded by the European Union (EU) under the “Next Generation Lithuania” Economic Recovery and Resilience Plan, which allocated €11 million for low-emission inland waterway