Coming Soon to LA: The Cleaner, Greener Hybrid Tugboat
The air at California’s San Pedro Harbor could be a bit cleaner and quieter starting next year, thanks to a new and cleaner-running tugboat now being assembled in Rainier, Oregon.
The Hybrid Tugboat is the latest green baby of Foss Maritime, a 119-year-old marine services company based in Seattle. By using technology based on the same type of drive used to stabilize deep-sea drilling rigs, the vessel will slash the energy waste and pollution generated by your typical tugboat.
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While it’s a vital workhorse in a port environment, the average tugboat spends half its time idling and needs full power just 7 percent of the time. The Hybrid Tug, on the other hand, can shut down its engines and rely on battery power when it’s in standby mode.
Thanks to its battery power, the Hybrid Tug will also be much less noisy than your standard tug — a plus not only for crew members but for port workers overall.
“This is exactly what the Clean Air Action Plan was intended to do — challenge companies operating in the ports to come up with better, cleaner ways of doing business,” said Geraldine Knatz, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, when plans for the Hybrid Tug were announced.
The Hybrid Tug is expected to go into operation early next year. Foss has made a five-year commitment to the Port of Los Angeles in return for funding from the agency. But that doesn’t mean more Hybrid Tugs won’t be coming soon. In fact, Foss notes, the technology can easily be adapted to existing tugs, meaning ports elsewhere could also soon be going cleaner and greener.
