Page 44: of Marine News Magazine (November 2024)

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Vessels eWolf

Port of San Diego

Crowley Maritime Corporation’s eWolf is an innovative It was of? cially delivered in January 2024 and traveled from harbor tug that stands out as the ? rst fully electric tugboat Alabama to San Diego under its own power, where it is now in its ? eet and the ? rst of its kind in the United States. stationed at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal.

Unlike traditional tugs powered by diesel engines, eWolf Externally, eWolf resembles a conventional tug, but its operates entirely on batteries, producing zero emissions interior is a technological leap. “A tug is a tug in a lot of and minimal noise. ways,” said Garrett Rice, president at Master Boat Build-

As regulations tighten and environmental concerns rise, ers. “The eWolf’s hull and structure are very similar to the maritime industry is increasingly investing in cleaner those of some other tugs we’ve built and we’ll continue to technologies. Crowley’s drive to develop an electric tug build. But once we got into the out? tting stage, everything began amid global developments in electric propulsion, changed real quick.” “When we started this journey, the concept of an electric While electrical systems are not new to commercial ves- tug was just starting to kick off,” said Paul Manzi, vice sels, installing them in a compact tug like eWolf presented president of ship assist and escort at Crowley. “There was unique challenges due to limited space for high-voltage some work going on in New Zealand and in Europe, and cables and components, Rice added.

we began to think it was possible to do it here as well.” eWolf features an integrated electrical propulsion system

In 2021, as part of its commitment to achieve net-zero by ABB, a 6.2 MWh Orca battery energy storage system, emissions by 2050, Crowley’s engineering division un- two 2,100 kW RAMME motors, and Schottel azimuth- veiled the eWolf design. The company partnered with ing thrusters. Emergency generators are also included for

ABB as the systems integrator and engaged Master Boat added reliability.

Builders in Alabama to construct the vessel. Bruce Strupp, vice president of marine systems for U.S.

The 82-foot-long eWolf is designed to meet ABS class and Canada at ABB Marine & Ports, described the key standards and U.S. Coast Guard Subchapter M regulations. pieces of technology that are core to an ABB solution 44 | MN November 2024