In a race to reach zero emissions by 2030, the Port of Los Angeles, dubbed the busiest port in the U.S., is poised to get an electric tugboat, which could deliver operators up to 50% savings compared to diesel vessels .
The Port of Los Angeles will be serviced by a 7.9-meter (26-feet) tugboat that will be retrofitted by U.S. electric boat manufacturing startup Arc in partnership with a West Coast shipyard, Diversified Marine.
According to Arc, this electric tugboat will be the first step toward modernizing the busiest container port in the Western Hemisphere, which is populated with “antiquated tugboats that are expensive, inefficient, and highly polluting” .
The company noted it is now underway on its first commercial vessel, a truckable tugboat that hardens the underlying technology, before proceeding with work on larger vessels later this year.
“At Arc, our mission has always been to electrify the marine industry. This is not just an environmental initiative — it’s America’s best shot at reclaiming its leadership in maritime technology,” said Mitch Lee , Co-Founder and CEO of Arc.
“U.S. shipyard throughput has been declining since WWII, and China now controls nearly half of the global shipbuilding market. We must adopt modern technologies to re-establish maritime exceptionalism. This partnership is a critical first step towards doing just that.”
In a push to “make shipbuilding great again” , the U.S. recently introduced a Maritime Action Plan (MAP), which provides a strategy with specific actions to restore and create sustained resiliency for the American maritime industry.
Kofi Asante , VP of Business Development at Arc, added: “Tugboats are a cornerstone of the economy that enable cargo ships to operate at ports. The short, but high power requirements of a tugboat make it a great fit for electrification which can drive efficiencies at the port.”
The Port of Los Angeles, together with passenger ferry service Catalina Express and boat tour agency Harbor Breeze Cruises, is also working on emission-reduction technology demonstration projects for specialized harbor craft through a $31 million grant awarded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).