'Historic milestone': Latin America's first electric tugboat christened

Latin America’s first electric tugboat, a joint endeavor by Empresa Nacional del Petróleo (Enap) and harbor towage services provider SAAM, has been christened in Chile, marking ‘a historic milestone’ for the country and the region.

The tug was christened Trapananda at a ceremony held at the Empormontt Passenger Terminal, following a dry run period and its journey from Tuzla in Türkiye, where it was built by Sanmar Shipyards, to Puerto Montt in Chile.

Designed by Robert Allan, the tug measures 25 meters in length and 13 meters in beam, with 70 tons of bollard pull capacity. It features two 2,100 kW electric azimuth thrusters and is powered by a 3,616 kWh capacity lithium-ion battery, distributed in two compartments. The batteries are remotely monitored by the manufacturer from Norway and have an estimated life of 10 years.

The electric tug will