Page 39: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (December 2024)

eWolf fully electric tugboat

Crowley Maritime Corporation’s eWolf is an innovative har- installing them in a compact tug like eWolf presented unique bor tug that stands out as the ? rst fully electric tugboat in its challenges due to limited space for high-voltage cables and ? eet and the ? rst of its kind in the United States. Unlike tradi- components, Rice said.

tional tugs powered by diesel engines, eWolf operates entirely eWolf features an integrated electrical propulsion system on batteries, producing zero emissions and minimal noise. by ABB, a 6.2 MWh Orca battery energy storage system, two

As regulations tighten and environmental concerns rise, the 2,100 kW RAMME motors, and Schottel azimuthing thrusters. maritime industry is increasingly investing in cleaner technol- Emergency generators are also included for added reliability.

ogies. Crowley’s drive to develop an electric tug began amid Bruce Strupp, vice president of marine systems for U.S. and global developments in electric propulsion, “When we started Canada at ABB Marine & Ports, described the key pieces of this journey, the concept of an electric tug was just starting to technology that are core to an ABB solution for hybrid and zero- kick off,” said Paul Manzi, VP, ship assist and escort at Crow- emission vessels. “The ? rst is our Onboard DC Grid architecture. ley. “There was some work going on in New Zealand and in Eu- All the power sources integrate into the Onboard DC Grid, which rope, and we began to think it was possible to do it here as well.” distributes them to all the consumers throughout the vessel,” he

In 2021, as part of its commitment to achieve net-zero emis- said. “Our DC grid is a closed-bus con? guration because it al- sions by 2050, Crowley’s engineering division unveiled the lows for more operational redundancy and safety for the vessel.

eWolf design. The company partnered with ABB as the sys- The eWolf represents a signi? cant ? nancial investment for tems integrator and engaged Master Boat Builders in Alabama Crowley, reportedly costing double that of a conventional tug- to build the vessel. boat. Funding for the project included substantial grants from

The 82-ft. eWolf is designed to meet ABS class standards several organizations, including the San Diego County Air and U.S. Coast Guard Subchapter M regulations. It was of- Pollution Control District and the U.S. Environmental Protec- ? cially delivered in January 2024 and traveled from Alabama tion Agency, aimed at supporting cleaner maritime operations. to San Diego under its own power, where it is now stationed at “This tug becomes somewhat commercially viable because of the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal. Externally, eWolf resem- the grant process,” Manzi said. “Unlike a ferry service that's bles a conventional tug, but its interior is a technological leap. paid for by tax dollars, we have to collect fares and tariffs “A tug is a tug in a lot of ways,” said Garrett Rice, president from the shipowners. Right now, the technology is out over at Master Boat Builders. “The eWolf’s hull and structure are market. So, we're working to true that up.” very similar to those of some other tugs we've built and we'll “The big driver [to produce the eWolf] was the reduction in continue to build. But once we got into the out? tting stage, emissions,” Manzi said, noting that in 10 years’ time, Crowley everything changed.” expects the eWolf will have saved 178 tons of nitrogen oxides, 2.5

While electrical systems are not new to commercial vessels, tons of diesel particulate matter and 3,100 metric tons of carbon.

Courtesy Port of San Diego

MR #12 (34-44).indd 39 12/5/2024 10:00:06 AM