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Crowley selects towage technology for first US electric tug
Crowley Maritime has selected deck machinery for its ground-breaking electric-powered tugboat newbuilding in the US
Markey Machinery was chosen to supply hawser winches for eWolf, which will be the first all-electric-powered harbour tug in the US when completed.
Alabama-based shipbuilder Master Boat Builders is constructing this 25-m tug for delivery to Crowley in mid-2023.
The tug eWolf will be deployed in the Port of San Diego for zero-emissions ship assistance.
Markey will supply its DEPC-48 hawser winches with render and recovery functions and a drum brake to hold-fast lines tensioned up to 278 tonnes of force.
“Crowley’s eWolf heralds the era of zero-emissions, ship-assist tugs for the maritime industry,” said Markey president Blaine Dempke.
“As a one-of-a-kind vessel, stakeholders will be closely following how effectively eWolf operates on battery power before deciding to embrace this new technology,” he said.
The fabricated steel winch drum spans 78.7 cm. It has a 51-cm diameter core, and flanges that measure 147.3 cm in diameter.
The machines spool 152 m of 22.9-cm circumference high-strength, synthetic line rated to 390 tonnes of breaking strength, and the winches will be powered through an AC-variable frequency drive, geared to produce line speeds to 88 m/min.
The DEPC-48 is fitted with several options for controlling the winches independently underway or joining both for in-port mooring.
Tug eWolf will has an integrated propulsion system and advanced vessel control technology from ABB.
It will be providing a 6-MWh energy storage system (ESS) comprising lithium-ion batteries, providing eWolf tug with enough power to achieve 70 tonnes of bollard pull with no emissions.
Batteries provide power to the propulsion system almost instantaneously, for efficient ship-assist operations and harbour escort services.
ABB said the batteries would enable eWolf to complete a full day of typical work before there is a need to recharge the ESS over night.
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