Corvus Energy Battery System Powers Trapananda Electric Tugboat

SAAM, the largest towage operator in the Americas, has introduced Trapananda, the first fully electric tugboat in Latin America, developed in partnership with Chile’s national oil company Enap. Designed by Robert Allan Ltd. (RAL), built by Sanmar Shipyards, and powered by a Corvus Energy lithium-ion battery system, the tug will operate at Puerto Chacabuco in southern Chile.

Measuring 25m with a 70-ton bollard pull, Trapananda will assist vessel maneuvers under challenging harbor conditions. 

It is SAAM’s third battery-electric tug, following the 2024 launch of two similar units in Vancouver, Canada. 

The vessel is a key step in SAAM’s 2030 Sustainability Strategy, which targets a 65% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across its fleet. According to the company, early operations of its electric tugs have delivered a 72% drop in carbon intensity and 70% lower operating costs compared to diesel units.

Equipped with a 3,616-kWh Corvus Orca ESS—the most widely installed marine battery system globally—Trapananda offers zero-emission, near-silent operations, reducing both environmental and noise impacts.

The tug was christened Trapananda in honor of the ancient name of Chilean Patagonia, a remote, untamed land covered with dense jungles that represented an unexplored and challenging territory for the first Spanish explorers.