Crowley's Engineering Services division announced Monday
that it has completed the design of the first fully electric tugboat with
autonomous technology - a new green option for ship assist and harbor services.
The design was produced by the Crowley subsidiary Jensen
Maritime, and it uses a large battery system and power saving technology to run
in full battery-electric mode, with no locally-produced emissions. The 82-foot
tug will provide 70 short tons of bollard pull using its 1,800 kW azimuthing
drive propulsion system and a 6 MWh battery.
The platform design can be adjusted for alternate power
arrangements, including a standard hybrid-power system. The fully modular
batteries allow for upgrades as technology changes. In addition, Crowley has
developed an onshore charging station for the necessary home port
infrastructure.
With no exhaust stack, the tug has 360 degrees of visibility
from the pilot house. It has also been designed for future autonomous operation,
including integrated automation and control systems. The intelligent
maneuvering and control system offers more efficient vessel operations and
allows masters to focus on the overall control and positioning of the vessel.
“Crowley’s design provides operators the tugboat solution to
continue serving ships quickly and powerfully while reducing their
environmental impact,” said Ray Martus, vice president of Crowley Engineering
Services. “This new design sets the standard for innovation by showing that
sustainability and power can work together seamlessly in our maritime
industries.”