Photo: Crowley
Remember eWolf? Not that long ago, it was an innovative concept introduced by Crowley as the first all-electric tugboat in the U.S. Now, eWolf is confirming its capabilities out on sea trials before officially entering commercial service.
It was two years ago when we first heard about eWolf. It was a pioneering concept among tugboats due to its fully electric propulsion. According to Crowley, the American maritime company that developed it, eWolf was an 82-footer (25 meters) equipped with a fully integrated electrical propulsion system by ABB. The system comprised two 2100 kW motors, a thruster, and a 6.2 MWh main battery. The electric tug also promised to match its conventional counterparts performance-wise, with 70 tons of bollard pull.
eWolf was designed to replace old-generation tugboats that burn more than 30,000 gallons (113,560 liters) of diesel per year. Compared to these vessels, the electric tugboat could eliminate up to 3,100 metric tons of CO2, 178 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx), and 2.5 tons of diesel particulate matter over the course of a decade without sacrificing performance. As a new-generation design, the eWolf tugboat wasn't only meant to operate without emissions, but also equipped with the latest AI technology, including an "Intelligent Maneuver" feature and 360-degree visibility, also from ABB.
Crowley teamed up with Master Boat Builders to build eWolf in Coden, Alabama. The maritime company recently shared a video showing the electric tugboat during real-life sea trials. The pioneering boat will then start operating in California at the Port of San Diego's Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal.
Earlier this year, the Port of San Diego announced the launch of a shoreside charging station for electric vessels like the eWolf. The station includes two energy storage systems and a battery monitoring system, plus the usual HVAC, firefighting, and detection features. The same station will also be used to supply clean energy (with the help of a solar power array) for powering all the electric equipment and vehicle operations in the port.
Crowley is linked to several other pioneering maritime projects. One is the largest LNG (liquefied natural gas) vessel built in the U.S. – a bunker barge developed in collaboration with Shell. Another one is an SOV (Service Operation Vessel) specifically meant to support America's emerging wind farm industry. Crest Wind, a joint venture between Crowley and ESVAGT (a Denmark-based provider of SOV services in Europe), is in charge of this project and has selected Fincantieri to build the vessel, making this the first SOV built by Fincantieri for the US market.
If eWolf is the first all-electric tugboat in America, Rachel Allen is the nation's first autonomous tugboat, made by Foss Maritime and equipped by Sea Machines Robotics. It's a new dawn for tugboats, and not just in the US – electric and autonomous tugboats are starting to replace conventional vessels all over the world.
eWolf was designed to replace old-generation tugboats that burn more than 30,000 gallons (113,560 liters) of diesel per year. Compared to these vessels, the electric tugboat could eliminate up to 3,100 metric tons of CO2, 178 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx), and 2.5 tons of diesel particulate matter over the course of a decade without sacrificing performance. As a new-generation design, the eWolf tugboat wasn't only meant to operate without emissions, but also equipped with the latest AI technology, including an "Intelligent Maneuver" feature and 360-degree visibility, also from ABB.
Crowley teamed up with Master Boat Builders to build eWolf in Coden, Alabama. The maritime company recently shared a video showing the electric tugboat during real-life sea trials. The pioneering boat will then start operating in California at the Port of San Diego's Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal.
Earlier this year, the Port of San Diego announced the launch of a shoreside charging station for electric vessels like the eWolf. The station includes two energy storage systems and a battery monitoring system, plus the usual HVAC, firefighting, and detection features. The same station will also be used to supply clean energy (with the help of a solar power array) for powering all the electric equipment and vehicle operations in the port.
Crowley is linked to several other pioneering maritime projects. One is the largest LNG (liquefied natural gas) vessel built in the U.S. – a bunker barge developed in collaboration with Shell. Another one is an SOV (Service Operation Vessel) specifically meant to support America's emerging wind farm industry. Crest Wind, a joint venture between Crowley and ESVAGT (a Denmark-based provider of SOV services in Europe), is in charge of this project and has selected Fincantieri to build the vessel, making this the first SOV built by Fincantieri for the US market.
If eWolf is the first all-electric tugboat in America, Rachel Allen is the nation's first autonomous tugboat, made by Foss Maritime and equipped by Sea Machines Robotics. It's a new dawn for tugboats, and not just in the US – electric and autonomous tugboats are starting to replace conventional vessels all over the world.
Google News