Foss introduces diesel-electric tug
Seattle-based Foss Maritime introduced a new dolphin-class diesel-electric hybrid tugboat Friday in a ceremony at the Port of Long Beach.
The custom-built 78-foot-long Carolyn Dorothy, can do the same work as tradition diesel tugboats while generating up to 44 percent less pollution, Foss said.
The $8 million tugboat was paid for in part by a $1.3 million grant from the Technology Advancement Program created and managed by the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. As part of the grant agreement, the new tug will participate in a six-month evaluation period to test the efficacy of the diesel-hybrid technology.
Foss intents to use the technology to allow the future retrofitting of existing tugboats to a diesel-hybrid power plant, permitting the operator to switch between diesel and electric modes depending on power and load demands.
