Installation starts on tug charging facilities at Ports of Auckland

Ports of Auckland has begun installing dedicated shore power charging facilities for use by its newest electric tug following the latter’s delivery in March.

The charging facilities will be used by Sparky, which is nearing completion at Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam.

The facilities will include a wharf substation and a specially built charging arm, which will be able to compensate for the movement of the tug in the water caused by waves and tides.

The charging arm’s motion compensation will be made possible by two pivots in the arm itself as well as internal counterweights. When the charging arm is not in use, it is stored in position on the wharf.

When the charging arm needs to be connected, technicians will manually pull the arm with a rope towards the tug’s connection plate. Once connected, the rope is tied off and the four charging plugs are connected to the charging sockets on board the tug.

The system will have a rated output of 1,500 kW to ensure the tug’s batteries, even when fully depleted, can be fully charged in as little as two hours.