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Continued tug and workboat construction is supporting demand for marine engines, generators, fixed-pitch propellers and azimuth thrusters, while new projects test fuel-flexible, hybrid and full-electric arrangements. The examples show how owners and builders are adapting propulsion to specific routes and duties—not that one fuel or system has proved best for the market.
Why tug construction matters to propulsion suppliers
Every new tug needs a propulsion and power package matched to its work. Riviera Maritime Media’s 6 October 2026 market overview says high shipyard production is bolstering demand for four-stroke high-speed and medium-speed diesel engines, generators, fixed-pitch propellers and azimuth thrusters. It identifies Caterpillar, Cummins, Everllence, MAN Engines, mtu, Niigata, Volvo Penta and Yanmar as major engine manufacturers competing for orders.
Thruster demand is also tied to the design of the vessels: Riviera reports that a tug typically needs at least two azimuth units. The same report says Kongsberg Maritime’s acquisitions of Berg Propulsion and Steerprop will reduce competition in the azimuth-thruster market. That is a reported market development, not evidence that all thruster suppliers or product categories face the same competitive conditions.
What the orderbook snapshot does—and does not—show
Marcon International’s May 2025 report, citing the S&P Global Sea-web Online Ship Register as of 27 May 2025, counted 960 towing vessels over 99 GT built or scheduled for completion in 2025 or later. The listed vessels totaled 3,201,268 HP, an average of 3,335 HP per vessel. This is a dated orderbook snapshot, not an annual build rate or a forecast of future production.
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- More than 2100 different pieces
- Model with a high degree of detail and prepared for Radio Control and motorization, (navigable).
- This model has several openings on the cover to access the Radio Control and motorization mechanisms
- The kit, in addition to all the parts for its construction, contains the following technical elements for Radio Control: The propeller, propeller shaft, propeller shaft horn with self-lubricating bearings, rudder blade for Radio Control with hull and servo anchoring mechanisms.
How new designs are accommodating different fuels
Fuel flexibility is appearing in some new tug designs, but a design provision should not be confused with a vessel already operating on every listed fuel. Riviera reports that Damen is beginning series construction of ASD 3313 FF and ASD 2713 FF harbor tugs in Vietnam and China. The designs are described as ready for diesel, hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) biofuels and dual-fuel methanol. Reported provisions include space for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) units, urea tanks and diesel particulate filters, as well as methanol storage and handling. Riviera says these provisions are intended to address IMO Tier III and EU Stage V requirements.
The same overview reports increased biofuel use on Indonesian intra-national routes and port services, HVO use by Svitzer on several UK vessels, and FAME blends in the Netherlands and Oman. It names Boluda Towage, Fairplay Towage, Multraship Towage, SAAM Towage and Wilson Sons as operators trialling biofuels on tugs and workboats. These reported activities do not establish that every fuel is available, approved or practical at every port.
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What the announced tug projects are specifying
The projects below illustrate different ways to combine power sources and propulsion equipment. Their specifications come from trade reporting or supplier announcements; they are not a like-for-like performance test.
| Project and reported stage | Power and propulsion arrangement | Reported duty or capability |
|---|---|---|
| SD Aisemaht and sister tug; reported by Riviera Maritime Media on 6 October 2026. SD Aisemaht had arrived in British Columbia after a transatlantic voyage; its sister was still being commissioned and tested in Turkey at the time of the report. | Sanmar-built, 996-GT vessels to Robert Allan Ltd’s RAsalvor 4400-DFM design for Kotug Canada. Twin Anglo Belgian Corp 16V DZM methanol-diesel dual-fuel engines drive two Schottel SRP 710 rudderpropellers. Each tug also has a Schottel STT 170 side thruster, SCR after-treatment and a hybrid arrangement allowing one engine to drive two thrusters. | Designed to escort Aframax tankers on a roughly 150-nautical-mile route from the Trans Mountain Pipeline export terminal toward the Pacific. Reported vessel specifications include 15 knots and 120 tonnes of bollard pull; the one-engine arrangement is reported to work up to 9.5 knots. These are stated specifications, not independently tested results. |
| Svitzer Balder; described by Riviera Maritime Media on 6 October 2026 as built by Uzmar in Turkey in 2026 for Svitzer’s work in Gothenburg, Sweden. | The 35-m tug, built to a TRAnsverse 3500 design, is reported to have almost 6,000 kWh of battery capacity, two 350 ekW methanol generator sets and one 1,960 ekW diesel genset that can also run on HVO. | Riviera calls it the first battery-methanol hybrid tug. Svitzer’s head of innovation and group operations, Thomas Bangslund, said the project is intended to combine batteries with low emissions in a high-intensity escort environment and build operating experience with methanol gensets. |
| Four full-electric Svitzer TRAnsverse tugs, with options for four more; Cochin Shipyard Ltd. contracted for the package announced by Kongsberg Maritime on 5 May 2026. | Kongsberg’s contracted package includes a 4.8 MWh battery pack as the primary power source for each tug, two 2,000 kW permanent-magnet propulsion motors, two US L Drive azimuth thrusters, DC and AC switchboards, shore-charging equipment, K-Chief automation and power management, plus hydraulic escort winches, capstans and chain stoppers. | These are planned-vessel and supplier-package specifications, not delivered-fleet operating results. The contract covers four tugs, with options for four additional vessels. |
| Hybrid offshore tug for Østensjø Rederi; described in Steerprop’s 19 February 2026 announcement as a GONDAN build designed by Skipsteknisk. | The announced vessel will have two Steerprop SP 50 W D dual-end azimuth units. Its propulsion can operate on diesel engine power, electric motor power or both together. | Steerprop says the electric motor will handle most operations, with diesel power available when higher bollard pull is needed. The vessel is announced with 150-tonne bollard pull and DP2 capability. |
Why propulsion choices depend on the tug’s job
These projects cannot be ranked by fuel or propulsion type from their published specifications alone. A harbor tug, tanker-escort tug and offshore tug face different duty cycles, power peaks and infrastructure constraints. The practical comparison starts with the work the vessel must do:
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- Mission and operating profile: distinguish routine harbor and terminal work from tanker escort, emergency response, offshore towing or a mixed role.
- Power and bollard-pull demand: establish the power needed for ordinary low-speed operations as well as peak towage or escort work. The Steerprop example explicitly assigns electric power to most operations and diesel to periods requiring more bollard pull.
- Fuel and energy access: check local availability and handling requirements for diesel, HVO, FAME or methanol, and whether the vessel can reliably use shore charging. A fuel-capable design does not itself provide fuel supply or port infrastructure.
- Emissions equipment and operating geography: account for after-treatment, fuel storage and handling, charging arrangements and the requirements applicable where the tug will operate.
- Maneuverability and system layout: assess thruster type and number, any side or bow thrusters, controls and integration between power sources. Those choices are part of the vessel package, not interchangeable details.
- Integration and support: consider equipment coordination, maintenance and service coverage alongside the initial configuration. The cited announcements do not provide a comparable lifecycle-cost analysis.
What the examples establish—and what they do not
Construction is creating concrete equipment opportunities: new hulls require engines and generators, while azimuth-driven tug layouts sustain demand for thrusters and integrated controls. At the same time, projects are testing several routes to lower-emission or more flexible operation, from biofuel-ready designs and methanol dual-fuel engines to battery hybrids and fully electric packages.
The published examples differ in vessel size, mission, geography and project stage. The cited sources do not provide independently measured, comparable emissions reductions or total costs of ownership across these configurations. They therefore support a picture of active design and procurement—not a definitive market-wide winner among diesel, alternative fuels, hybrid systems or battery-electric propulsion.
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