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US shipping company Crowley Maritime Corporation formally named its newest ship assist tug in a ceremony in San Diego, California, on Tuesday, June 25. Named eWolf, the tug was designed by Seattle-based Crowley Engineering Services and built at the Coden, Alabama facilities of Master Boat Builders.
Crowley claims that it is the first all-electric tug to be built in the United States, and that it will operate with zero emissions while providing the complete performance capabilities of a traditional tug. Specifically, the tug will replace an earlier vessel that consumes more than 30,000 gallons (140,000 litres) of diesel per year, thus eliminating emissions equivalent to 350,000 gallons (1.6 million litres) of petrol, according to US EPA calculations, over the first 10 years of operation.
The electric propulsion on eWolf also guarantees significantly reduced noise. This allows the tug to continue to operate even during nighttime without disturbing residents in the communities that are situated close to the Port of San Diego.
