Friday, March 29, 2024

Crowley to build the first fully electric U.S. tugboat

The American company Crowley Maritime Corp. unveiled its first fully electric tugboat eWolf, that can complete a job without expending a drop of fuel. It is being built to serve the Port of San Diego.

The 82-foot-long eWolf is expected to have 70 short tons of bollard pull capabilities. The company said that the operation of such an environmentally friendly tug for ten years would reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides by 178 tons, 2.5 tons of diesel particulate matter, and 3,100 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) versus a conventional tug. The eWolf tug will replace the conventional tug, which consumes more than 30,000 gallons of diesel per year.

The tug has a main propulsion battery array inside with an incredible 6.2 MWh capacity, which will power two 2,100-kW Ramme electric motors to get the vessel up to a top speed of 12 knots (22.2 km/h). The per-charge range is unknown at this point.

With 360-degree visibility, the eTug will also feature ABB’s artificial intelligence technology (AI) to increase safety and efficiency for mariners and provide sustainable performance with the reliability that customers demand.

The electric tugboat will be built by Master Boat Builders at the American shipyard in Coden, Alabama, with the support of Crowley Engineering Services and its newly integrated shipbuilding group, Jensen Maritime. The eTug batteries will be charged at a specially designed shoreside station developed with Cochran Marine.

The eTug will be operational in mid-2023 and service cargo ships at the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal in the Port of San Diego.