Operated by Crowley Maritime Corporation, the 82-foot tugboat called the eWolf will slash greenhouse gas emissions for the port and its neighbors in Barrio Logan and National City by running on electricity instead of diesel fuel.
"This is the way the zero-emissions parade is heading," said Rafael Castellanos, chairman of the port's board of commissioners. "This is where the world is going and we want to be a pioneer in this technology."
Capable of speeds of up to 12 knots, the eWolf will be powered by a 6.2 megawatt-hour main propulsion battery and two electric motors. The tug has bollard pull (that is, thrust) of about 70 short-tons, which is comparable to its diesel counterpart at the Port of San Diego, and two small generators for emergency use. The generators also allow the eWolf to travel longer distances at a reduced speed.
The tug boat's electricity will come from a charging station that, when completed by the end of this year, is part of a microgrid facility equipped with two energy storage containers. Battery modules in each container have storage capacity of nearly 1.5 megawatt-hours.
The charging station is designed to allow vessels to recharge quickly and reduce peak loads on the energy grid. It will be built by a subcontractor hired by Crowley, with San Diego Gas & Electric helping with interconnections.
"This charging station will be a critical piece to begin advancing our sustainable port operations here," said Matt Jackson, vice president of business development for Crowley, which is based in Jacksonville, Florida.
Currently under construction in Alabama, the all-electric tugboat is expected to arrive at the Port of San Diego in the first quarter of next year. Jackson said the eWolf will replace one of two diesel-powered tugs Crowley operates at the port. That will eliminate the consumption of more than 30,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year.
Over the first 10 years of use, the electric tugboat is expected to reduce about 3,100 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the port and its surrounding areas.
In 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order that directed state agencies to transition off-road vehicles — including tugboats — and equipment to 100 percent zero-emissions by 2035.
"Portside communities breathe more diesel pollution than 90 percent of Californians and the children in the communities experience three to five times more asthma hospitalizations than the county average," said Diane Takvorian of the California Air Resources Board. "So this is what it means in the real world."
Crowley officials would not disclose the all-electric tugboat's price tag but Castellanos said the port has spent more than $60 million on electrification projects.
Last month, the port became the first in North America to install a pair of all-electric cranes to load and off-load heavy cargo. Each 262 feet high, the cranes replaced an older crane that ran on diesel fuel. Together, the cranes expect to help the port reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 47 metric tons per year.
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