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PROPULSION “A major overhaul can exceed a half million dollars, and if you factor that into the concept of installing a new engine, and that gets you a subsidy and a main engine that will require less maintenance than a 30-year-old engine, it’s a great thing.” – Buckley McAllister, President of McAllister Towing and Transportation Co., Inc.

tions manager, Global Marine, Cum- don’t force a change, eventually, regu- 3500 series engines it sold between mins, Inc., says a requirement in a lators will. And by that point, the cost 1993 and 2004, which it believes

New York state RFP that engines had of doing so will have grown exponen- would qualify for trust fund monies to be Tier 3 or T4 led Norfolk Tug tially while the settlement funds will using CAT Emissions Upgrade Kits.

Co. to repower four to ? ve vessels. have been spent. Upgrade kits are being positioned

Operators have 10 years to apply for as a more affordable alternative to the money, but the funds are expect- installing new engines. “Not only

FISH OR CUT BAIT

Manufacturers have already pushed ed to run out in the ? rst three years are customers getting an emission diesel engine emissions down to near in most states. The ? rst projects will upgrade, they are also getting new- zero with Tier 4 technology. As the probably kick off in early summer. like engine condition and up-to-date movement toward all-electric and None of this is lost on engine mak- technology, adding decades of reliable zero-emission vehicles grows, and that ers like Cummins and Global Marine operation,” says Holt. Total cost of technology and capacity starts to catch Caterpillar. Cummins for example, ownership is cut by the reduction in up with demand, it’s going to become put together a strategy team to lobby needed major overhauls over the life states for inclusion of a maritime cat- of the engine, he adds. harder for workboat operators to ig- nore the fact they are rapidly sailing egory, while CAT is developing a pro- The ROI on cleaner engines should alone in the haze. The expectation gram to prepare dealers to assist cus- speak for itself. In case it doesn’t, among stakeholders is that if business tomers with trust fund applications. Cummins has created an emissions and health gains from going ‘green’ CAT is targeting the more than 1,000 calculator to demonstrate how much an engine upgrade can reduce NOx emissions. Now is the time to ? gure out and check your emission reduc- tion strategy, plot your states, and get in line for lots of green to ensure clean sailing ahead. David Holt perhaps says it best when he advises, “The sooner people apply the better, once these funds are gone – they are gone.”

Patricia Keefe is a veteran journalist, editor and commenta- tor who writes about technology, business and maritime topics.

May 2018

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