Marine battery maker AYK Energy has been commissioned to manufacture and supply the 6MWh battery that will power the world’s first battery-methanol tug.

The rapidly expanding marine battery manufacturer has won the contract to deliver the battery system to Turkish shipyard Uzmar. The yard is building the vessel for Svitzer, the leading global towage and marine services provider, with delivery planned in the second half of 2025.

It is AYK’s first contract with Uzmar. The 6MWh battery-powered tug will be deployed in Gothenburg and provide zero-emission services across a quarter of Svitzer’s operations in the Swedish port. The tug is based on Svitzer’s innovative TRAnsverse tug design and the battery will be supported by dual fuel methanol engines for back-up and range extension.

The escort duty tug is expected to conduct more than 90% of its operations using its battery-electric powertrain. The vessel’s design will also allow the battery-powered tug to operate more efficiently than internal combustion engine powered tugs of a traditional design. With a gross tonnage of approximately 806 tonnes, the tug will be capable of achieving speeds of up to 14 knots.

The contract with Uzmar reinforces AYK’s role as one of the sector’s prime innovators.

AYK Energy founder Chris Kruger said: “We’re extremely pleased to have won the contract from Uzmar to work on this project, which is a trailblazer in the sector. It once again underlines the confidence the marine industry has in AYK to deliver. It also shows our continuing progress in winning the bigger battery projects and that is very much down to our advanced technology and commitment to providing value for money. Battery solutions are constantly expanding, and we are proud to be at the forefront when it comes to providing those solutions to the maritime sector.  Companies like Svitzer see it becoming an important power option in the sustainability transition. They see the combination of battery power and methanol engines as safe, efficient and reliable. And once again in this work we are showing how marine batteries can play a fundamental role in decarbonizing the maritime industry, right here and now.”

Gareth Prowse, Head of Decarbonisation at Svitzer, said: “The launch of a first-of-its-kind newbuild project with our partners at Uzmar Shipyard is a significant milestone for our decarbonisation ambitions.  The battery electric tug will mean we can deliver our services to customers in the Port of Gothenburg with significantly lower carbon emissions, and still to the highest operational and safety standards.”

Uzmar CEO, A. Noyan Altug, added: “By integrating cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices, we are not just building a tug; we are helping to shape the future of green maritime operations.”

The order comes as fast-growing AYK Energy is seeing a surge in demand for its batteries across the maritime industry with the manufacturer supplying tugs, OSVs, superyachts, fishing vessels, work boats and even large container vessels as part of their power mix. The battery for the new build Svizer tug will be built at AYK’s 5000 sqm automated manufacturing plant in in Zhuhai China which opened in 2023. The plant has a production capacity of 300MWH a year with the ability to expand to 1GWH.