Q. How are the BTA’s Technical and Executive Committee’s shaping best practice today, and what should operators be looking out for in terms of new publications and guidance?

The BTA’s governance structure is fundamental to driving the industry's safety and operational standards forward. The Executive Committee provides the strategic leadership to navigate the broader commercial and regulatory landscape, while our Technical Committee acts as the "engine room" of the Association. This group leads the charge by developing pragmatic, industry-leading guidance for operators and wider industry.

Its remit and the guidance it produces are broad, spanning recovery of persons from water, good-practice firefighting guidance for tugs, the role of Tug–Pilot Exchange (TPX) and Master–Pilot Exchange (MPX) in clear communication, or battery safety, while drawing in specialist expertise from wider membership and industry where needed.

At our recent 2026 AGM, Annual Conference and Gala Dinner, we launched the Second Edition of the BTA Guide to Rope Selection, Procurement & Usage, providing updated best practices for managing towline systems and integrating new guidance on gog ropes. The review partially stemmed from the critical safety lessons from the MAIB investigation into the tragic loss of the Biter, and how gog ropes can be misunderstood or improperly used. This builds on Gog Ropes: Industry Advice, a joint publication with the UK Maritime Pilots’ Association and the Workboat Association to improve safety in conventional towage operations.

Looking ahead, the next major piece of guidance will focus on demystifying escort towage: what it is, what it is not, clarifying the terminology and practice of active, passive, direct and indirect towage. 

We strongly welcome suggestions from members and the wider industry on knowledge gaps future guidance could address.

Q. What role does towage play in underpinning the UK’s coastal resilience and emergency response—and why is it becoming more critical?

Towage sits at the intersection of daily port operations and national emergency capability, though its resilience role is often underappreciated when tested. Tugs keep ports open and supply chains moving, act as first responders to fires, groundings and collisions, and enable salvage operations. In doing so, operators provide the capability and expertise to stop incidents escalating into serious safety or environmental events. A year on from the allision between the MV Solong and Stena Immaculate off the Humber, that case continues to reinforce our call for Government to review and, where needed, strengthen the UK’s emergency response capability.

Looking ahead, the priority is the development of a modern, resilient emergency towing framework that reflects today’s maritime environment. With offshore renewables expanding in the UK Exclusive Economic Zone, alternative-fuelled vessels transiting our waters, and uneven tug availability between regions, the risk profile is changing. The UK therefore needs a collaborative reassessment its Shipping Risks and Emergency Towage Provision. 

Q. What are the biggest barriers to decarbonising the towage sector, and where is the sector seeing real progress?

Decarbonising the UK towage sector is uniquely challenging. Tugs work in a reactive environment where safety, manoeuvrability and immediate availability are non-negotiable, so the transition has to support, not compromise, their core role.

There is real progress in both fuel switching and electrification. Some operators have successfully trialled Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) as a drop-in fuel that can cut well-to-wake emissions without major engine modifications, while battery tugs have already been proven globally for routine harbour work, including vessels built by BTA associate members. But both routes face challenges: HVO remains expensive and maritime is excluded from using biological fuels under the Renewable Fuel Transport Obligation, while battery tug deployment in the UK wholly depends on grid capacity and port charging infrastructure. Successful initiatives installing shore power for hotel load is a practical near-term step, cutting emissions at berth and improving crew comfort.

While they can be an important test bed, tugs cannot decarbonise in isolation. Progress depends on ports providing charging, shore power and green bunkering infrastructure, which in turn depends on wider signals from shipping and the supply chain. Towage also sits in a degree of regulatory ambiguity because most tugs are under 400gt, limiting the relevance of some international rules. To resolve this, will require much closer coordination between operators, ports and Government. The UK Chamber, on behalf of the BTA, engaged extensively with the DfT’s Small Vessel Decarbonisation Call for Evidence last year and we now await the next steps toward a pragmatic framework for the sector.

Q. Scanning the Horizon, what will really shape the towage sector’s role as critical national infrastructure in the years ahead—and what needs to happen now to secure it?

Looking ahead, the BTA and the UK Chamber will continue to advocate on behalf of the UK towage industry in order to protect and enhance its status as critical national infrastructure. At the same time, with the sector striving for safety excellence, the highest degrees of competence, and successful adoption of new technologies to build resilience - All of which are essential to enabling the UK’s ports and harbours to keep the open, 24/7, 365 service that our nation depends on for trade, connection and growth. 

Ultimately, recognising towage not merely as a commercial service, but as a foundational pillar of the UK's economic and environmental resilience, is the critical shift in perspective we hope to achieve.