World’s first full-sized ship-handling electric tug ‘Sparky’ arrives at Waitematā Harbour
- Published
by Admin
Ports of Auckland on Tuesday (7 June) welcomed Sparky, the world’s first full-sized ship-handling electric tug.
“Early this morning, we were beyond proud to witness Sparky arriving across the Waitematā Harbour — escorted by Ports of Auckland’s current tugs,” said Allan D’Souza — who has been leading the e-tug project for the port.
“Back in 2016, when we first pitched the idea for a fully electric tug, we were told we were dreaming,”
“To welcome Sparky to Tāmaki Makaurau and see her in real life is a dream come true.”
The port also thanked shipbuilding company Damen who was up for the challenge in helping it change the game of emissions-free ship-handling options.
“Sparky is the first e-tug of its type in the world and was a truly innovative project for us,” said Ports of Auckland CEO Roger Gray.
“Her arrival marks a big step towards the ports’ decarbonisation of operations and towards our long-term emissions reduction goals.”
Photo credit: Ports of Auckland
Published: 8 June, 2022
