HaiSea Marine prepares to welcome the world’s greenest tug fleet and the world’s first fully electric tugboat

The world’s first fully electric tugboat will arrive in North Vancouver this spring: the HaiSea Wamis. HaiSea is majority owned by Haisla Nation in partnership with Seaspan, and its fleet will provide ship-assist and escort towing services to LNG carriers calling at LNG Canada’s new export facility in Kitimat, B.C.

The HaiSea team is preparing to celebrate several ‘firsts’ in 2023 starting with the delivery of the world’s first fully electric tugboat. The HaiSea fleet will include three fully electric tugs. The ElectRA 2800 is a new series of battery electric harbour tugs that were specifically designed and customized for its innovative propulsion system to meet the unique requirements of assisting LNG carriers on and off the berths at the LNG Canada terminal. The ElectRA 2800 harbour tugs are 28 metres length, with approximately 70 tonnes bollard pull and approximately 5288 kWh of battery capacity.

Not to be outshined by the electric tugboats, HaiSea’s fleet also includes dual fuel (LNG and diesel) tugboats. The RAstar 4000-DF escort tugs measure 40 metres in length, and with 100 tonnes of bollard pull, they will be the most powerful escort tugs on the west coast of Canada –and among the world’s most highperformance escort tugs – with the ability to generate indirect forces in escort of approximately 200 tonnes. In addition, the escort tugs feature an exhaust after-treatment system in full compliance with IMO Tier III emissions standards, the most stringent emissions standards for the international marine industry.

HaiSea’s fleet is technologically innovative and represents the future of the marine industry, but it also carries significant connections to the past. All five tugboats were named by the Haisla, Gitxaala, and Gitga’at

Nations and represent their people, cultures, and territories.

Haisla Nation

• HaiSea Wee’git (Raven). Among the traditional peoples of the Canadian west coast, Wee’git was a character of wide repute, who was well known for getting things done and big things like bringing light into the world.

• HaiSea Wamis. The first settler of Kitamaat who sought sanctuary. Aptly named as it will be the world’s first fully electric tugboat.

• HaiSea Brave. Brave is the name of all the sports teams in Haisla territory and has been emblazoned across Haisla jerseys for decades.

Gitxaala Nation

• HaiSea Warrior. Basketball on the west coast is big and Gitxaala’s basketball team, the Kitkatla Warriors, is a point of pride and allows Gitxaala to keep a strong connection with their waring past.

This name serves to represent every Gitxaala member.

Gitga’at Nation

• HaiSea Kermode. The spirit bear is a traditional representation of the region and territory.

Recently, members of the Haisla Nation joined representatives from Seaspan, HaiSea Marine, and LNG Canada for a naming ceremony at Sanmar Shipyards in Istanbul, Turkiye.

The tugboats were designed locally by Robert Allan Ltd, a Vancouverbased naval architect firm, and are being built by Sanmar Shipyards. The official naming and blessing of the fleet moved the project one step closer to delivering on HaiSea’s promise of providing employment opportunities for the Haisla people and their coastal First Nations neighbours.

To learn more about HaiSea, please visit haiseamarine.com. Ü

F:

E: