Electrification News

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV), a leader in testing, inspection, and certification, has called for greater clarity regarding standardized safety regulations that will advance the development of maritime electrification technologies, following the publication of a new technology report, Maritime Electrification: Maritime Battery Systems and Onshore Power Supply. The report explores how electrification technologies—specifically Energy Storage Systems (ESS) and Onshore Power…

Arc Boat Company announced its entrance into the commercial sector. In partnership with a West Coast shipyard, Diversified Marine, Inc., Arc will retrofit a 26 ft tugboat for use in the Port of Los Angeles. The Port of Los Angeles is racing to be zero-emission by 2030, and yet is populated with antiquated tugboats that are expensive, inefficient, and highly polluting. With the first of many modern vessels that are more capable, cleaner, and built domestically, this workboat is a first step towards modernizing the busiest container port in the Western Hemisphere.In recognition of the importance of shipbuilding, the U.S. government has announced a flurry of new incentives to revive domestic capacity…

AAM Towage and Caterpillar Marine signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), to evaluate and implement alternative power solutions to diesel, including electrification and alternative fuels such as methanol and ethanol, for the tug fleet.Both companies are already working on a dual-fuel engine—the Cat® 3500E—which will use methanol and is expected to begin testing this year.SAAM Towage is active in towage and marine services at more than 90 ports in 13 countries in the Americas.

In an article by Rhonda Moniz published this week on MarineLink, Siemens sales executive Ed Schwarz noted the flexibility provided by an electric distribution “backbone” that enables ferry operators to add more batteries, switch to new fuels or become 100% emission free with fuel cells.A string of deliveries reported this week demonstrate that steps are being taken along this pathway for a range of vessels:The hull of Lithuania’s first green hydrogen and electricity-powered ship was launched by the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority.

The San Francisco Bay Ferry announced on Thursday that it has received a $12.5 million grant from the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) to establish a zero-emission, battery-electric ferry service at the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal in Alameda.This funding will significantly enhance SF Bay Ferry’s Rapid Electric Emission-Free Ferry (REEF) Program, aimed at transitioning the agency’s fleet to zero-emission propulsion. The grant, part of CalSTA’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP)…

Kitsap Transit has been awarded $1.2 million to design an all-electric, zero-emission fast ferry demonstration vessel and its accompanying shoreside charging infrastructure, the Washington State Department of Commerce announced. This funding complements a previous $4 million grant from the state legislature aimed at developing a scaled-down version of the 150-passenger Foil Ferry, engineered by Glosten and Bieker Boats, which is intended to validate the technology's viability for future operations on Puget Sound.The $4 million grant will become available on January 1…

San Francisco Bay Ferry has been awarded a $11 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to support the agency’s plans to procure the nation’s first high-speed battery electric ferries.The award—announced by the FTA on Monday as one of 18 new ferry grants totaling nearly $300 million—advances Phase 1 of SF Bay Ferry’s Rapid Electric Emission-Free Ferry (REEF) Program, a suite of projects to transition the agency’s fleet to zero-emission propulsion technology.

Marine towage provider Svitzer announced it has inked a deal Turkish shipbuilder Uzmar to build a world-first battery-methanol tug for scheduled delivery in the second half of 2025.Designed in collaboration with naval architect Robert Allan Ltd, the first-of-its-kind tug will be based on Svitzer’s TRAnsverse tug design and feature a 6MWh battery supported by dual fuel methanol engines for back-up and range extension.The 34.9-meter escort duty tug is expected to conduct more than…

DNV has issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) to HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) for its cutting-edge electric propulsion liquefied hydrogen (LH₂) carrier design, which has the potential to store and transport up to 80,000 cubic meters of LH₂. The approval is a key achievement in a collaborative effort involving major industry players: HD KSOE, Woodside Energy, Hyundai Glovis, and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL). Together, these companies are working to create…

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm BMT announced it has teamed up with Canadian ferry transportation company Greenline Marine to develop a new all-electric ferry design.The new 32-meter Greenline 150 Passenger Electric Ferry is equipped with the latest in electric propulsion technology and features an optimized hull form and propulsion system, with hull, propellers and rudders engineered to reduce the energy required for movement. This focus on efficiency directly…

VITA Power announced it has delivered all-electric Vita Seal rigid inflatable boat (RIB) to the City of Newport Beach, marking the electric marine technology company's first sale to a public agency.The RIB will join the Harbor Department’s existing fleet of three boats and assist with patrols and towing and pushing vessels that need assistance or have broken away from moorings.According to VITA Power, its Vita Seal is suited for marine-based industries and harbor patrol law enforcement agencies, offering up to 10 hours of continuous operation at reduced speeds.

Eleven ports in Washington have been awarded a total of $26.5 million to electrify their operations, a move aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions by over 140,000 metric tons over the next decade. This funding marks the inaugural round of grants from the Port Electrification Grant Program, established by the Legislature in 2023 and financed through Washington’s Climate Commitment Act.The grant program, which was open to all 75 public ports in the state, is part of a broader initiative to tackle carbon emissions in the transportation sector…

San Francisco’s Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), operator of the San Francisco Bay Ferry system, is moving forward with plans to introduce the United States' first fleet of zero-emission, high-speed, battery electric ferries, this week unveiling design renderings and announcing a battery systems supplier.The newbuilds, to be procured as part of SF Bay Ferry's Rapid Electric Emission Free (REEF) Ferry Program, include two 400-passenger vessels that will operate…

Marine News spoke to leaders at three North American naval architecture and marine engineering firms about some of the latest trends impacting their business today. Morgan Fanberg, CEO, Glosten; Robert Ekse, President, Elliott Bay Design Group; and Wade Carson, CEO, Vard Marine, weigh in on topics ranging from digitalization and decarbonization to the naval architect talent pool.How are advances in digitalization and AI impacting the naval architecture business today? How will…

U.K.-based Artemis Technologies is opening its first U.S. office in response to "significant interest" for its electric, hydrofoiling vessels in North America, the company announced.The new office in New York's Brooklyn Navy Yard will serve as Artemis Technologies' central hub for its North American operations and positions the company to better serve its U.S. customers and collaborate with local partners, it said.David Tyler, Co-Founder of Artemis Technologies said, "The maritime industry is undergoing a transformative shift towards more sustainable operations…

An electric propulsion system conversion kit developed by power transmission technology company Twin Disc and distributor partner Palmer Johnson Power Systems has been approved by the California Air & Resources Board (CARB) under the Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE).The CORE incentive program aims to encourage California off-road equipment users to purchase or lease currently commercialized zero-emission off-road equipment by offsetting the higher cost…

Angel Island Tiburon Ferry (AITF), in California, has tapped New-Zealand-based EV Maritime to design a plug-in hybrid electric vessel for its fleet in the San Francisco Bay Area. The project, which will also see the electrification of two existing AITF vessels, has been funded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The hybrid ferry will be designed and engineered by EV Maritime with electrical integration provided by ZeroMar, a local company in the Bay Area.“This new vessel will be plug-in hybrid…

Brabo, a provider of pilot and port services in Antwerp, Belgium, has entered into a deal with maritime technology firm Artemis Technologies to add an Artemis EF-12 Pilot boat to its fleet. This cutting-edge, fully electric foiling vessel is set to be delivered in late summer 2025.Engineered with feedback from pilotage professionals worldwide, the Artemis EF-12 complies with ES-TRIN standards (European Standard for Technical Requirements for Inland Navigation vessels).With its 100% electric operation…

Germany-based cruise operator Phoenix Reisen has retrofitted its 205-meter, 835-passenger capacity ship MS Amera with ABB’s DC technology to improve the vessel’s efficiency and lower its emissions during port calls.The vessel is now equipped with ABB’s Onboard DC Grid power system platform and shore connection.Following commissioning and sea trials, Amera has become the first cruise ship retrofitted with Onboard DC Grid.The project involved the replacement of the vessel’s AC system with modern DC technology.

Crowley on Tuesday christened its new vessel, eWolf, the first all-electric ship assist tugboat in the United States.Set to enter commercial service at the Port of San Diego this week, the 82-foot tug was built by Coden, Ala. shipbuilder Master Boat Builders and designed by Crowley’s engineering services team to operate on full electric power, producing zero carbon emissions and 70-ton bollard pull strength.“The eWolf is a historic milestone in the maritime industry and Crowley’s legacy and underscores our company’s commitment to serve as global sustainability leaders and innovators…

The all-electric tugboat HaiSea Wamis is the first of HaiSea Marine’s five new eco-friendly tugs to travel from North Vancouver to the company's base of operations in Kitimat.A team of eight Haisla members piloted the HaiSea Wamis home, marking a milestone for HaiSea Marine, a partnership primarily owned by the Haisla Nation and Seaspan ULC. This occasion was a family affair for the Ross family, spanning three generations: Ed Ross, a deckhand for HaiSea Marine, his stepson Craig Windsor…

Canadian shipbuilder AF Theriault & Son Ltd. announced it is teaming up with New-Zealand-based electric ferry design and technology company EV Maritime in hopes of securing a contract to build a series of electric ferries serving the community of Bedford, Nova Scotia.This partnership has been formed in relation to Halifax Regional Municipality’s (HRM) upcoming procurement for five new ferries for scheduled delivery in the 2027-2028 fiscal year. The entire project is estimated at CAD$258.7 million and will include ferries…

Ottomotive Tech has joined the global community of maritime battery enablers, the Maritime Battery Forum.Founded in 2021, Ottomotive Tech gives support for products, engineering and consultancy in different sectors such as maritime, automotive, telecommunication and energy storage systems. The company’s expertise comprises of system engineering from scratch to pre-serial production, followed by production, test, homologation and delivery processes of requested products. Their…