Volta 1: Europe’s First Fully Electric Tugboat Launched at Port of Antwerp-Bruges

Yesterday, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges launched the Volta 1, Europe’s first fully electric tugboat, marking a significant milestone in the port’s integrated greening program aimed at achieving climate-neutral operations by 2050. Developed in collaboration with Damen, the Volta 1 follows previous innovations like the hydrogen-driven Hydrotug and the methanol-driven Methatug.

The Volta 1 is a Reversed Stern Drive (RSD) tugboat designed with a double bow principle and a patented Twin Fin skeg for enhanced stability and maneuverability. It is fully electric, with a battery capacity of 2 782 MWh that can be recharged in just two hours at a 1,5 MW charging station. The tugboat is emission-free and can operate for up to 12 hours, boasting a towing power of 70 tons, equivalent to that of traditional diesel tugboats.

This launch is part of a broader initiative to renew the tugboat fleet, replacing older vessels with five energy-efficient RSD tugs commissioned simultaneously. The tug service, which accounts for nearly 85 % of the port’s CO₂ emissions, is undergoing significant greening efforts as the Port of Antwerp-Bruges aims to integrate environmentally friendly technologies to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

As the fifth-largest bunker port globally, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges aspires to become a multi-fuel port, offering low-carbon alternatives alongside bio- and conventional fuels. Over the past year and a half, it has introduced the world’s first hydrogen and methanol-powered tugs, testing these technologies to identify the best solutions in terms of emissions, cost, autonomy, and performance. This positions the port as a pioneer in the international energy transition, encouraging other ports and sectors to take similar actions.

The partnership with Damen Shipyards Group is crucial to this transition. Damen, which built the first electric tugboat in 2022 in Auckland, New Zealand, began constructing six RSD tugs for the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in 2023 in Vietnam. After a journey of over 10 000 kilometers, the ships arrived in Antwerp in November 2024, where they were prepared for operational deployment, including technical start-up, crew training, and installation of charging infrastructure. The official launch of the Volta 1 represents the culmination of this journey.