Technology group Wärtsilä has adapted its hybrid tug design to specifically meet the needs of the Chinese market.
Three versions of the Wärtsilä HYTug – a 28-metre harbour tug with 50 tonnes bollard pull, a 29.5-metre harbour tug with 75 tonnes bollard pull, and a 35-metre escort tug with 75 tonnes bollard pull – have received an approval-in-principle recognition from the China Classification Society (CCS).
The hybrid power module combines batteries with low-fuel engines. Each Wärtsilä HYTug design comes with the option of diesel-mechanical hybrid propulsion or diesel-electric hybrid propulsion.
Expected to operate in harbours and populated areas, the hybrid tugs are unlikely to emit any visible smoke and operate at reduced noise levels when in 'green' mode.