Tokyo Kisen and Marindows launch Japan’s first pure battery-powered tug project

Tokyo Kisen and Marindows on Wednesday (13 August) said they have officially launched Japan’s first pure battery-powered EV harbour tugboat development project.

Tokyo Kisen is the project owner while Marindows is the project coordinator. This EV harbour tugboat which will be operated in the ports of Yokohama and Kawasaki is aiming to contribute to “zero GHG emissions from the ports” in accordance with the Carbon Neutral Port (CNP) policy.

Both plan to conduct a detailed feasibility study and concept design this year before finalising the construction and concept design.The construction of the vessel is expected to start in 2028 while its commercial service is expected to start at the ports in 2030. 

In January 2023, Tokyo Kisen put into service TAIGA which was Japan’s first series-hybrid electric-powered tugboat equipped with a large-capacity 2,486 kWh battery. 

Building on two and a half years of operating experience with electric-powered tugs, this project advances to the next stage—enabling truly zero-emission (zero CO₂) operations—by developing and constructing a pure battery-powered EV tugboat. 

This could be possible by the combination of a large-capacity onboard battery system (6.66 MWh) and MW-class fast chargers.

Photo credit: Tokyo Kisen
Published: 14 August, 2025