Rijkswaterstaat has given the go-ahead for the development of virtually emission-free emergency rescue tugs in the North Sea.

Rijkswaterstaat keeps tugboats on standby day and night for emergency assistance at sea. In future, these too will need to become much more sustainable. Rijkswaterstaat has therefore officially launched the development phase of an ambitious innovation project this week for virtually zero-emission emergency rescue tugs.

No tender

As part of this Power2Tow project, three consortia will receive funding over the coming years to further develop the concepts they previously submitted. These are Kustkracht, comprising Kotug International, IHC Defence and Bluewater Energy Services; a consortium of Multraship Ocean Towage, Damen Shipbuilding and the Danish company Stillstrom; and a joint venture between Smit Terminals Europe and Smit Salvage.

Ultimately, the idea is that a single consortium will be selected to actually build and supply the vessels, loading infrastructure and services. This would obviate the need for a time-consuming tendering process. It is as yet unclear when this decision will be made.

Charging at sea

The Power2Tow project aims to lead to the development of three electric Emergency Response Towing Vessels (ERTVs). The vessels are to operate on electric power as much as possible and be able to recharge at sea using electricity from offshore wind farms. For heavy-duty emergency towing operations, the use of sustainable e-methanol is envisaged.

According to Rijkswaterstaat, the project involves not only the construction of new vessels but also the development of a complete energy system. In addition to the vessels, the contract includes a charging infrastructure at sea and onshore, operational concepts and a 25-year operating period.

A single solution

What makes this project unique is the chosen innovation partnership structure. All three consortia will be given the scope and resources to further develop, test and validate their proposals.

Only once this phase has been completed will Rijkswaterstaat select a single solution for implementation. This allows different technological approaches to be investigated simultaneously.

Een van de consortia met de opdrachtgevers bij de start van het ontwikkeltraject. Vlnr: Christina Kempenaar (RWS), Kristian Stillstrom (Stillstrom), Marc Tijssen (Damen Shipyards), Eline Muller (Multraship), Marja van Bijsterveldt (gezant Maritieme Maakindustrie), Martin Wijnen (RWS), Petra Lugtenberg (Binnenlandse Zaken), Stefan Quist (Multraship), Raymond Stillstrom (Stillstrom) en Jelle Brantsma (Damen Shipyards)

Complete reliability

Although electric propulsion is now increasingly being used in inland waterway transport and on smaller workboats, emergency rescue tugs are among the most demanding vessels. After all, they cannot afford to fail: they must be immediately available in all weather conditions and capable of delivering high towing forces over extended periods.

It is precisely for this reason that the consortia are not limiting their focus to battery-electric propulsion alone. The combination of batteries, offshore charging facilities and sustainable energy carriers such as e-methanol must ensure that the vessels produce virtually no emissions, whilst at the same time being fully reliable in operation.

North Sea Pilot Scheme

The consortium comprising Multraship, Damen and Stillstrom, for example, sees a key role for offshore energy hubs around wind farms. According to the partners, the combination of electric vessels and offshore charging facilities offers opportunities to utilise energy from North Sea wind farms directly for maritime applications.

This will make the North Sea not only a source of sustainable energy, but also a testing ground for new forms of zero-emission shipping.

No guts, no Dutch glory

Power2Tow forms part of the Rijksrederij’s Fleet Renewal Programme, through which Rijkswaterstaat is working towards a more sustainable government fleet. The current fleet of around one hundred vessels is, on average, twenty years old and does not meet the stricter environmental targets.

Power2Tow also ties in with the sector agenda ‘No guts, no Hollands glorie!’, under which the government and the business community have agreed to involve innovation and the Dutch maritime manufacturing industry more actively in public procurement.


Top photo: the Multraship Commander, one of Rijkswaterstaat’s current ERTVs, is now twenty years old. Credit: Rijkswaterstaat