Steel Cutting Ceremony of AmpRA 3600 for Rizhao Port

February 11, 2026

The steel cutting ceremony of the first fully electric tugboat for Rizhao Port, part of Shandong Port Group on December 9, 2025, marked an important milestone and made a major step forward in the port’s transition toward low-carbon and intelligent operations. The vessel is designed by Robert Allan Ltd. and is being built by the Shandong Sea-land equipment group.

The new tugboat, the first unit of the two tugs to this design, will be powered by a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery system with capacity of 7300 kWh as its primary energy source, enabling continuous operation for over 15 hours at a service speed of 8 knots in full electric mode. The vessel will be equipped with an intelligent navigation system and an intelligent energy management system, delivering zero emissions, significantly reduced noise levels, and improved operational efficiency compared with conventional diesel-powered tugboats.

Rizhao Port previously took delivery of two 5,000-horsepower azimuth stern drive tugs with towing and firefighting capabilities in 2022 and two 6500-horsepower muti-function tugs early last year. All four tugs were designed by Robert Allan Ltd. The involvement to this new full electric tugboat project highlights Robert Allan Ltd.’s strong commitment to supporting global decarbonization goals and advancing the development of smart, green ports.

For more information on AmpRA 3600 tugs, or any other high-performance vessel designs developed by Robert Allan Ltd., please contact design@ral.ca.