Mon 13 Apr 2026, 05:24 GMT | Updated: Mon 13 Apr 2026, 05:27 GMT | Evangelia Fragouli

Sanmar completes sea trials for 14th all-electric tugboat


Turkish shipyard marks half-century in business with latest battery-powered vessel from ElectRA series.


Dinamo IV vessel.
Sanmar has now completed 14 all-electric tugboats in its ElectRA series, with a 15th under construction. Pictured: Dinamo IV, an all-electric tugboat. Image credit: Sanmar Shipyards

Turkish shipbuilder Sanmar Shipyards has completed sea trials for its 14th fully electric tugboat, Dinamo IV, during the company’s 50th anniversary year.

The vessel is part of the ElectRA 2500SX series, developed through Sanmar’s partnership with Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd. The design uses battery technology supplied by Corvus Energy and is intended to deliver zero emissions at the point of use.

According to Sanmar, Dinamo IV has a length of 25.40 metres, a breadth of 12.86 metres and a maximum draught of 5.40 metres. The tug is equipped with 1,808 kWh of battery capacity, enabling it to achieve a bollard pull of 70 tonnes and a speed of 12.5 knots.

Since the ElectRA series was launched in 2021, the tugs have entered service in Europe, North America and Latin America, often in environmentally sensitive waters. Current operators include HaiSea Marine, Saam Towage, Svitzer, Buksér og Berging and Botas.

Sanmar noted that the series has also received industry recognition, including the ITS 2023 Tug of the Year award for HaiSea Wamis and the recent shortlisting of Saam Trapananda for the 2026 award.

Rüçhan Çıvgın, Commercial Director of Sanmar Shipyards, said: "We took a strategic decision to be at the forefront of this change and are working collaboratively to achieve a sustainable future. Right from the start, we knew these green credentials had to be achieved without any loss of power or performance. A great deal of effort has gone into ensuring that they match and, in many cases, outperform their conventional counterparts."

With 14 vessels now completed and a 15th already under construction, Sanmar said it continues to focus on meeting growing demand for lower-emission propulsion systems in the maritime sector.



J-ENG 6UEC35LSGH hydrogen-fuelled engine unveiling. Japan Engine completes land-based testing of landmark hydrogen-fuelled engine for large vessels  

Hydrogen co-firing rate of at least 95% achieved during factory testing.

Aerial view of tanker vessel at sea. Ethanol edges into shipping’s fuel mix as methanol crossover eases adoption barriers  

Rising interest from cargo owners, shared technology with methanol and Brazilian production growth push ethanol beyond regional niche status.

AiP award ceremony for multi-purpose fuel tank and FGSS design. ABS grants Hanwha Ocean approval for dual-fuel tank enabling LNG-to-ammonia switch  

In-principle approval awarded for fuel tank and supply system enabling LNG carriers to convert to ammonia without replacement.

Lloyd's Register issues Factual Statement (FS) for PureMetrics CEMS. Lloyd's Register confirms suitability of Daphne Technology's emissions monitoring system  

Factual Statement validates the PureMetrics design for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions from marine engines.

IMO building with national flags. IMO issues shipboard biofuel blend checklist developed by IBIA  

Checklist for FAME-based biofuels formally incorporated into IMO document, supporting crews handling biofuel blends for the first time.

YM Weight naming ceremony. Yang Ming names fourth LNG dual-fuel container vessel YM Weight  

Newbuild features high-pressure dual-fuel main engines capable of running on either LNG or low-sulphur fuel oil.

Bureau Veritas grants AiP to SDARI. Bureau Veritas grants AiP to SDARI’s LNG dual-fuel liquefied CO₂ carrier design  

Classification society approves 85,000-cbm vessel concept designed to support the growing carbon capture and storage sector.

Houston skyline at night. JuWonOil looking to strengthen with two Houston hires  

Texas-based firm is recruiting a marine lubricants sales executive and a marine fuels and distillates trader.

Lloyd's Register (LR), Seapeak, Kongsberg Maritime and Tunable JDP launch. Four firms partner to trial continuous emissions monitoring on LNG carrier  

LR, Seapeak, Kongsberg Maritime and Tunable will test onboard CO₂ monitoring against engine data and default emissions factors.

Bunker Holding logo. Bunker Holding reshuffles commercial leadership across brand portfolio  

Appointments announced across KPI OceanConnect, Glander International Bunkering and its digital sales operations.