Officials of the Seattle based marine services company say the project must still gain final board approval. But the decision to move forward with the hybrid tug received a boost early in March when the Port of Los Angeles pledged $850,000 to the project, in association with the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The Long Beach Board of Harbour Commissioners has also given preliminarily approval for a $500,000 contribution to the vessel’s construction. In exchange for funding, Foss would agree to base the new hybrid tug in Southern California for five years. The 5,000 horsepower hybrid tug will be primarily used for shiphandling duties, working with tankers and container ships in the Californian ports.

‘Foss is proud to be working with the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles on such an important project as the hybrid tug, said Gary C. Faber, president and COO of Foss. ‘This is just the latest example of how Foss sits at the leading edge of maritime technology, engineering and shipbuilding. As a company, we’re committed to maintaining our natural environment. Foss anticipates there will be a growing market for our green tugs in the years to come.’

The Foss hybrid tug is scheduled to go into production later this year and will be delivered to Foss’ Southern California operations in 2008. It is a newbuild project, a continuation of the Dolphin class tugboat series built at Foss’ Rainier, Oregon shipyard. The hybrid tug will look almost identical to its sister ‘Dolphin’class tug boats but will be quieter, cleaner and more fuel efficient, using proven hybrid technology.

At the heart of this new concept is the tug’s unique diesel-battery-electric propulsion system. Two fully azimuthing propulsion units will be powered by batteries coupled to diesel generators in a modified engine room accommodating two 670 horsepower battery packs and two 335 horsepower generators. Although the main engines in the hybrid tug will have lower horsepower than those of an existing Dolphin tug, overall the same total horsepower will be available.

Among the environmental and health related benefits quoted for the hybrid tug are reduced emissions (nitrogen oxide, particulate, sulphur dioxide and carbon) due to design efficiencies and lower fuel consumption. The hybrid tug design minimises fuel consumption by using a power management system to match the required power to the most efficient combination of batteries, generators and main engines for that particular power level. For example, instead of idling the main engines while in standby mode when alongside a customer vessel awaiting orders from the pilot, the hybrid tug will run on battery power with the main engines shut down.

Overall, the hybrid tug will be much quieter than traditional vessels, running on battery power in standby mode and only bringing the generators and main engines online when higher power is required. This reduction in noise levels will protect crews from hearing loss and generally reduce ambient noise pollution.

Geraldine Knatz PhD, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles commented, ‘This is exactly what the ‘Clean Air Action Plan’ was intended to do, challenge companies operating in the ports to come up with better, cleaner ways of doing business. And Foss has come up with a great plan that benefits all of us’.