Crowley starts using biofuel to power tug

Crowley Shipping and Shell Trading (US) Company (STUSCO) recently initiated the use of low carbon biofuel to power the Crowley tugboat Veteran, a ship assist and escort tug serving the Bay of San Francisco.

As explained, the fueling contract between the companies aims to support sustainable operations that decrease the carbon footprint and greenhouse gas impacts of maritime operations.

The Veteran, a 6,800-horsepower tug with a bollard pull of 182,000 pounds, received its first bunkering of 24,000 gallons of low carbon biofuel on March 9 in San Francisco.

Veteran joins Crowley’s Vision/650-10, a U.S.-flagged, articulated tug-barge (ATB) that has continued to be bunkered with biofuel from STUSCO since December 2019. The ATB serves the U.S. and Canadian West Coast.

“Using biofuel continues Crowley’s commitment to enhancing the safety, sustainability and reliability of operations as stewards of the waters and communities that we serve,” Crowley’s John Ara, vice president, commercial logistics and customer interface, said.

“Our customers benefit from cleaner, efficient services that reduce our impact on the air and greenhouse gases, helping lead our industry toward greater sustainability.”

The biofuel is lower in carbon intensity than conventional fuel, the use of which results in a reduction of greenhouse gas and air emissions such as carbon dioxide and Sulphur oxide. The biofuel runs the vessels’ main engines, generators and barge generators.

Crowley Shipping, a business unit of Crowley Maritime Corp., operates petroleum tank vessels and ship assist and escort tugs serving domestic ports.