Sanmar Delivers Four Electric Tugs to BOTAŞ

Sanmar has held a ceremony to mark the delivery of four of its fully electric ElectRA tugboats to Türkiye’s state-owned crude oil and natural gas pipelines and trading company, BOTAŞ.

The four eco-friendly, emissions-free harbor tugs are based on the exclusive-to-Sanmar ElectRA 2500SX design from Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd. They will operate at the BOTAŞ Marmara Ereğlisi LNG Terminal and the BOTAŞ Saros FSRU Terminal, both of which are of strategic importance to ensuring Türkiye’s energy security.

The ceremony was held at Sanmar’s Tuzla Shipyard on Friday, February 27, and was attended by Cem Seven, Chairman of Sanmar Shipyards, Ali Gürün, Vice Chairman & CEO of Sanmar Shipyards and other SANMAR management and employees. Guests included Erdinç Deli, BOTAŞ LNG Operations Manager, along with other BOTAŞ managers and employees.

At the start of the tugs’ production process, Erdinç Deli said the agreement marked a milestone in BOTAŞ achieving the targets set out in its National Energy Action Plan, aimed at enabling the transition to environmentally friendly technologies.

The successful completion of this major contract carries additional significance for Sanmar as it celebrates its 50th anniversary year, with the company firmly positioned at the forefront of the tug and towing industry’s transition toward a sustainable low- and zero emissions future.

The four ElectRA tugs delivered to BOTAŞ have been renamed BOTAŞ HİLAL, BOTAŞBAYRAK, BOTAŞ AY and BOTAŞ YILDIZ by their new owner.

Each tug measures 25.4m LOA, with a 12.86m beam and 5.55m draft, and delivers 70 tons of bollard pull ahead, with a top speed of approximately 13 knots. Accommodation is provided for a crew of up to eight.

Equipped with battery banks producing 5,085 kWh, the tugs also include backup diesel gensets to ensure fire-fighting capability and extended operational endurance. Their tank capacities include 54m³ of fuel oil and 18m³ of fresh water.