Page 32: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2023)

COVER STORY CURTIN MARITIME

Today Curtin Maritime is dredging in its single largest ing for cleaner-than-required engines, equipment, and other awarded contract, the Houston Ship Channel deepening and sources of air pollution, is a positive example of technology expansion – Project 11, a project that will widen the channel investment to cut emissions, as the Carl Moyer Program was by 170 ft. along its Galveston Bay reach, from 530 to 700 ft. It implemented as a partnership between CARB and Califor- will also deepen some upstream segments to 46.5 ft. nia’s 35 local air districts. “But our current regime, for lack “We’ve built the DB Avalon speci? c for deepening proj- of a better term, seems to have another agenda,” said Curtin. ects,” said Curtin. “So all of our focus is in that large scale “They just passed some crazy harbor craft (emissions) rulings capital dredging, we feel that there’s a lot of opportunity for that are completely unobtainable.” us there.” [https://www.marinelink.com/news/californias-pro- posed-harbor-craft-rules-497103].

Regulation In summarizing his sentiments on the state of maritime

Martin Curtin grew up on Catalina Island off the Califor- regulation in California, Curtin is succinct: “I’m pleasantly nia coast, and in his youth spent his free time in the water optimistic because I’m just tired of being depressed over it.” ? shing, spear ? shing, boating and camping on the beach. “I want to protect our environment probably more so than any- Energy Transition one,” said Curtin. But he laments that some of the decisions Most emission reduction conversations start with alterna- being made by regulators are “purely political fodder that tive fuels, and in assessing the current mix of fuels being tout- ultimately has a negative net impact because of the fact that ed, Curtin sees some interesting options. But like the majority the rules aren’t enforceable.” of vessel owner/operators, he is waiting to see how fuel avail- “One of the things that we try to explain to our local regula- ability and distribution evolves before staking the future of his tors is you can’t create innovation through regulation,” said company on one choice, citing the viability of methanol fuels

Curtin. “It’s never worked historically, but they don’t seem to in California but the lack of infrastructure to deliver it when understand that.” and where needed. “You can have the best engine in the world,

He said programs like the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality but if you can’t get the fuel, it’s a waste of time.”

Standards Attainment Program, which provided grant fund- Apart from where they operate, Curtin said just as crucial

The C T T T Th Curtiin M Mariiti gboa ime tu u b at t t ? eet is an older ? eet. “We h h ha h ve a lot of McDermo ott 126 6 h h hulls with Nautican pac ckages s on them that outperf forms anything built today. All of our big ocean boats were speci? cally purchas sed for their offshore tow wing performance.”

All images courtesy Curtin Maritime 32 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • April 2023

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