Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) and Svitzer have commenced construction of four battery-electric harbour tugs at a steel-cutting ceremony held at the Cochin Shipyard facility on 2 September, marking the start of physical work on vessels claimed to be among the most advanced green tugs being built anywhere in the world.

The ceremony follows a shipbuilding agreement signed between CSL and Svitzer in December 2025, covering a minimum of four next-generation TRAnsverse 2600e tugs. The vessels are battery-electric versions of Svitzer’s TRAnsverse tug design, developed for harbour operations. According to Svitzer, the design is capable of operating in complex, close-quarters environments across different ship types and sizes and under challenging weather and tidal conditions. When charged using green power sources, the tugs are said to enable zero direct emissions during port and terminal towage operations.

The collaboration is positioned as aligned with India’s Green Tug Transition Programme, Maritime India Vision 2030, Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, and the Government of India’s 'Make in India' programme.

Attending the ceremony were Shri Jose V. J., Chairman and Managing Director of CSL, along with Svitzer’s Chief Operating Officer Kasper Karlsen and Deniz Kirdar True, Managing Director for Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA).

Shri Jose V. J. said: “It is a proud moment for CSL to partner with Svitzer for the construction of four fully electric TRAnsverse 2600e harbour tugs, and we look forward to strengthening this association further through our shipbuilding capabilities and expertise. CSL will thus be playing a crucial role in advancing the sector’s decarbonisation goals.”

Karlsen, who delivered a keynote address at the ceremony, noted: “The TRAnsverse is designed to remove constraints in our customers’ operations. It delivers faster and more predictable vessel movements, which protects berth productivity and turnaround times, and it allows a port to get more from the berths, channels and pilots it already has without a proportional increase in fleet size or new infrastructure. This is proven technology, with over 3,000 commercial towage jobs completed with the class, and Svitzer has 18 TRAnsverse vessels under construction worldwide.”

Kirdar True remarked: “We evaluated shipyards across the world before selecting CSL. Four fully electric TRAnsverse 2600e tugs now begin construction here in Cochin — among the most advanced green tugs being built anywhere — and the capability to build them stays in India.”

The steel-cutting comes as the Government of India has approved a package of ₹69,725 crore to strengthen domestic shipbuilding capacity, maritime financing and skilling, following a review of the sector under the Union Budget 2025–26 and the adoption of a four-pillar strategy aimed at revitalising shipbuilding in India.