August 13, 2025
Tokyo Kisen Co., Ltd. and Marindows Inc. have launched Japan’s first fully battery-powered EV harbor tugboat development project.
The tugboat, planned for operation in the ports of Yokohama and Kawasaki, aims to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Carbon Neutral Port (CNP) initiative. This project builds on Tokyo Kisen’s experience with “TAIGA,” Japan’s first series-hybrid electric tugboat, which has been in operation since January 2023 with a 2,486 kWh battery.
The new vessel will push toward zero-emission operations through a large onboard battery (6.66 MWh) combined with megawatt-class fast chargers.
The tugboat will have a top speed of 14 knots, a maximum bollard pull of 53 tons, and a total propulsion power of 3,000 kW via two 1,500 kW motors. Onshore infrastructure will include two 2,000 kWh batteries and two 1,000 kW fast chargers. The project is led by Tokyo Kisen, coordinated by Marindows, and technically supported by e5 Lab Inc.
The development schedule is set to span 2025–2030: feasibility studies and concept design in 2025, basic design in 2026, detailed design in 2027, construction starting in 2028, and commercial service commencing in 2030.
To remind, earlier this year, Tsuneishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. launched Japan’s first tugboat equipped with a hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine (ICE).
