First electric push boat christened
After a naming ceremony held in Berlin’s Westhafen, “Elektra”, the first emission-free pusher tug, is now ready for action.
After almost two years of construction at shipyard Hermann Barthel in Derben (Germany), the first push boat in which battery-electric propulsion is combined with hydrogen and fuel cell technology has entered into service.
Under the project management of the department of maritime systems design and operations at the Technical University of Berlin, the Behala - Berliner Hafen- und Lagerhausgesellschaft - (logistics) involved seven other parties to make the vision a reality.
“Elektra” will serve as a role model, because its power system is designed to be applicable to a variety of barge and coastal vessel types. While pilot runs will initially take place in the Berlin region, as of 2023 the tests will be continued on long-distance routes towards Hamburg. (sh)