SME Working Group Champions to lead design of all-electric ASD tugboat

National Maritime SME Working Group Champions Macduff Ship Design Ltd. has joined forces with Kongsberg Maritime, Echandia and Harland & Wolff, to create a UK consortium with a common vision to develop and build a zero emissions harbour and coastal tug.

The nature of the UK’s topography and infrastructure means that transporting large fabricated structures, components or raw materials by road is difficult. It adds significant pressure on the road network, as well as increasing the carbon footprint dramatically.

Creating environmentally-friendly tugs and a class of ultra-efficient large barges to service the UK’s Marine Coastal Highway would not only ease pressure on the nation’s roads and reduce emissions, but also help with the Levelling Up and Net Zero ambitions. Having the ability to efficiently move large loads on the Marine Coastal Highway would create greater opportunities for shipbuilding as well as fabrication of structures for offshore wind developments across the entire country, helping spread work beyond the industry’s existing focus on the central belt of Scotland and supporting the UK’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.

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