Crowley Begins Using Biofuel to Power San Francisco Bay Tug ‘Veteran’

U.S.-based Crowley is expanding its use of low carbon biofuel by using it to power one of its tugboats operating San Francisco Bay.

Crowley Shipping and Shell Trading (US) Company initiated the use of the fuel on board the Crowley tugboat Veteran, a ship assist and escort tug.

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, where Crowley has operated tugboats since 1906.

Veteran joins Crowley’s Vision/650-10, a U.S.-flagged, articulated tug-barge (ATB) that has continued to be bunkered with biofuel from Shell Trading 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,” said Crowley’s John Ara, vice president, commercial logistics and customer interface. “Our customers benefit from cleaner, efficient services that reduce our impact on the air and greenhouse gases, helping lead our industry toward greater sustainability.”

Crowleys said biouel 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., is the largest independent operator of petroleum tank vessels in the U.S., and a leading operator of ship assist and escort tugs serving domestic ports.