When one considers the myriad of things becoming hybrid, tugboats are not one of those which immediately come to mind. But in southern California (where else?) the world's first true hybrid tug was recently unveiled.
The Carolyn Dorothy, displayed before a large crowd in the Long Beach, California area on January 23, was built by Seattle, Washington-based Foss Maritime. This tug joins a fleet of existing standard tugboats servicing the needs of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
This hybrid tug, partially built with funds contributed from both ports, is expected to “significantly reduce emissions” compared to its conventional siblings. The design seems to have made the EPA happy, as the governmental agency gave it an award of excellence last year.
So what exactly makes this “Green Assist” tug a hybrid? Foss first detailed this project back in 2007. In place of a traditional tugboat engine, this boat is powered by two 670 horsepower battery packs coupled with two 335 horsepower diesel generators.
The company added that although the main engines in the hybrid tug will have lower horsepower than the existing Dolphin engines, overall the tug will have the same total horsepower as its sister tugs. A key features to the implementation of this design is a specialized power management system, which helps lower fuel consumption and reduce emissions.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
written by devin, February 06, 2009
-
- +0
-
-
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
FEB 06
"I can't stress how upset politicians make me in a last ditch effort be..."
View all Comments