Electrifying Debut: HaiSea Wamis completes world’s 1st tanker escort with full electric power

Home Alternative Fuels Electrifying Debut: HaiSea Wamis completes world’s 1st tanker escort with full electric power

October 27, 2023,
by

Jasmina Ovcina Mandra

The world’s first fully electric harbor tugboat, the HaiSea Wamis, has accomplished its inaugural task, completing the first-ever oil tanker escort using an all-electric vessel, and heralding a new era of eco-friendly ship escorts.

Image credit: seaspan

The HaiSea Wamis, a pioneering vessel in HaiSea Marine’s fleet, played a pivotal role in escorting the Argent Iris, a 30,000+ tonne oil tanker, through the challenging waters of the Second Narrows Bridge and into the pristine waters of Vancouver Harbour on October 18, 2023.

Designed by the Vancouver-based naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd., the HaiSea Wamis is the first of three fully electric tugboats scheduled to join the fleet.

HaiSea Marine, a joint venture majority-owned by the Haisla Nation in partnership with Seaspan ULC, took delivery of the tug boat in May 2023. It is the first of three battery-electric tugs intended to operate at LNG Canada’s new export facility in Kitimat, British Columbia.

HaiSea Wamis was recently joined by HaiSea Wee’git, while the third one, HaiSea Brave, is expected to follow suit shortly. The trio is part of the five-tug deal signed by HaiSea Marine, which also includes the LNG-powered tugs HaiSea Kermode and HaiSea Warrior, Canada’s first LNG tugboats.

“The HaiSea Wamis is the first of three fully electric tugboats to arrive on our shores and was designed by Vancouver-based naval architect firm Robert Allan. Combined with HaiSea’s incoming dual-fuel (LNG and diesel) escort tugs, the fleet will be among the greenest in the world,” Seaspan said.

The duo will now perform towing operations in Vancouver Harbour until they set sail for Kitimat.

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Once all vessels are delivered and operational, the fleet will embark on a journey up the Douglas Channel to Kitimat, where it will be headquartered. From there, it will provide ship-assist and escort towing services to LNG carriers calling at LNG Canada’s new export facility, located in the traditional territory of the Haisla Nation.