Cochin Shipyard (CSL) in India has begun construction of four battery-electric harbour tugs for the towage service provider Svitzer, a Maersk-owned towage operator with a fleet spanning multiple continents.

The steel-cutting ceremony, held on September 2 in Cochin and attended by senior leaders of Svitzer and CSL, follows a shipbuilding agreement signed by the two companies in December 2025 for four tugs, Svitzer said in a statement on its website on Wednesday.

The new tugboats will feature battery-electric propulsion and will be charged using electricity produced from renewable sources. Harbour tugs, which typically operate on intensive duty cycles in and around ports, have emerged as an early segment for maritime electrification because their short, predictable routes make battery charging practical compared with deep-sea vessels.

"We evaluated shipyards across the world before selecting CSL. Four fully electric TRAnsverse 2600e tugs now begin construction here in Cochin — among the most advanced green tugs being built anywhere — and the capability to build them stays in India," said Deniz Kirdar True, Managing Director – Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) at Svitzer.

The project aligns with India's broader push to expand its domestic shipbuilding industry. Last year, the country announced a $7.9 billion package that includes a financial assistance scheme aimed at rejuvenating its shipbuilding industry and the wider maritime ecosystem.

Source: Ship & Bunker