Her Majesty Queen Mary named Denmark's first electric tugboat at a ceremony in Copenhagen on September 9, marking what Svitzer says is a step forward in the Danish maritime sector's green transition.

The tugboat, christened Svitzer Ingrid during the naming ceremony attended by more than 100 executives from the Danish maritime industry, features a 1,808 kWh battery capacity equivalent to 23 modern electric cars and can perform most tasks using electricity.

According to Svitzer, the vessel can reduce annual CO₂ emissions by 600 to 900 tonnes compared to existing tugboats operating in the Øresund region.

"In Svitzer, we have an ambition to become climate neutral by 2040, so today marks an important milestone for us. The electrification of our vessels is a key part of achieving this target," said Kasper Friis Nilaus, CEO of Svitzer.

The hybrid vessel will operate in the Sound with Helsingborg as its home port, where around 90% of all tasks can be completed using electricity, according to the company. Full charging takes approximately 3.5 hours, though one hour of charging is said to be sufficient for operations.

Svitzer operates a fleet of over 450 tugboats assisting tankers, container ships, and cruise vessels in ports worldwide. The company has ordered a second electric tugboat for delivery in 2026 and says it is seeking to acquire four additional electric tugboats.

Friis Nilaus noted that expanding the battery-powered fleet depends on ports developing necessary charging infrastructure: "We would like to make a larger share of our fleet battery-powered, but this depends on ports having the necessary charging infrastructure. We are not there yet, although we see positive progress."

He added: "Ultimately, ports will need charging infrastructure similar to that for cars. Shipping companies cannot achieve this on their own. We must work together across our industry, with policymakers and local communities, to develop viable green solutions."

Svitzer Ingrid will be recharged using renewable energy supply at the Port of Helsingborg. The 25.4-metre vessel has a bollard pull of 70 tonnes and is also fitted with a conventional diesel engine.

Following Svitzer's tradition of naming Scandinavian vessels after figures from Nordic mythology, Ingrid also carries a royal reference to Queen Ingrid. This marks the second time Queen Mary has named a Svitzer vessel, having previously named Svitzer Marysville in Melbourne, Australia, in 2011.