15 e-tugs to ease port operations at an expense of over Rs 1,800 crore as Maharashtra to replace diesel tugs

Rane had recently visited the Netherlands where the option of e-tugboat was examined and one of such tugs was brought to Maharashtra for inspection.

Written by Alok Deshpande

Mumbai | September 10, 2025 08:16 PM IST

Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane said the rent for the e-tug will be at least Rs 7.5 lakh per day. (Express Archive)

In one of the biggest purchases of Maharashtra’s Fisheries department in recent times, the state plans to purchase 15 E-tugs in a bid to end dependence on diesel tugboats. Each of these E-tugs will cost around Rs 120-130 crores. The state currently has 12 diesel tugboats and are planning to bring into use a total of 30 E-Tugs by the year 2035.

“It is the dream of our respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji that our country should lead in the port sector. To achieve this, the government is working to increase the use of green technology across the country and bring India onto the path of developed nations at the global level. In line with this vision, the ‘Aqua Stentor E-Tug’ – an electric tugboat based on Netherlands technology – could be a game-changer in port services. Compared to traditional diesel tugboats, it offers faster service at lower cost and is environmentally friendly,” said Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane.

Rane had recently visited the Netherlands where the option of e-tugboat was examined and one of such tugs was brought to Maharashtra for inspection. The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) which has deposits of around Rs 1,200 crore will make the purchase in a phased manner.
“Once purchased, the e-tugs will be given on rent to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority. Along with JNPA, there are 12 ports in India which require the services of tugs,” said Rane.

Rane said the rent for the e-tug will be at least Rs 7.5 lakh per day. The e-tugs come with a warranty of 30 years compared to 10 years of presently used Diesel ones and require three people to work on instead of present six. The total time required to charge the e-tug is one and half hours while once fully charged, it can work for eight straight hours.

“It will not only add money to MMB’s treasury but will also lessen the expenditure on the maintenance of diesel tugs. We will create assets and increase the revenue as well,” he further added.

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