Crowley will operate first all-electric port tug

U.S. maritime group Crowley has ordered an all-electric port tug from U.S. yard Master Boat Builders. The vessel, named eWolf, is part of Crowley’s programme to protect the environment, improve sustainability and decarbonisation, said company chairman and chief executive officer Mr Tom Crowley.

The 27.3m-long vessel will have a bollard pull of 70 tonnes. Over the first ten years of its use, the operation of the new tug will reduce emissions by 178 tonnes of nitrogen oxide, 2.5 tonnes of diesel particulate matter and 3,100 tonnes of carbon dioxide compared to a conventional tug.

The tug will be operated by Crowley in the Port of San Diego’s Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal and is scheduled to be in service by mid-2023. The tug will be built using designs and on-site construction management by Crowley Engineering Services and its integrated Jensen Maritime naval architecture and marine engineering group. The tug is designed to ABS Class and compliant with U.S. Coast Guard Sub-Chapter M regulations.

The tug’s Corvus battery system will be charged at a specially designed shoreside station developed with Cochran Marine. The tug will feature a fully integrated electrical package provided by ABB. With 360-degree visibility, the tug will also feature ABB’s artificial intelligence technology (AI) to increase safety and efficiency for mariners and provide sustainable performance with high reliability of service operation.

Garrett Rice, president of Master Boat Builders, said: “This vessel will set a standard in the U.S. maritime industry for sustainability and performance, and its zero-emissions capability and autonomous technology will benefit the environment and the safety of mariners and vessels.”