en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Port of Los Angeles has taken the lead in launching a 350-passenger hybrid vessel, the "El Escudo." This project is a collaboration between the port, Harbor Breeze Cruises, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and the Port of Long Beach, utilizing the latest emission reduction technologies available on the market. The vessel is equipped with a parallel hybrid propulsion system, capable of switching between pure electric (zero-emission), diesel, or hybrid modes. Its emission standards surpass the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 requirements and current CARB commercial harbor craft regulations.
According to operational plans, the vessel will operate in zero-emission mode for at least 30% of its runtime, with some voyages achieving 100% zero emissions depending on route and duration requirements. This harbor craft will be docked at the Port of Los Angeles, serving the San Pedro Bay port area.
The development and testing of this vessel are part of the Los Angeles Maritime Emission Reduction (LA MER) project. This project received a $31 million grant from CARB, along with $30 million in matching funds from partners, aimed at testing and evaluating two different emission reduction technologies for harbor craft. In addition to this hybrid vessel, the project also includes a zero-emission advanced technology (ZEAT) vessel from Harbor Breeze Cruises and a Catalina Channel Express high-speed ferry powered by renewable diesel and equipped with a Tier 4 engine. Together, these three vessels are expected to reduce emissions by over 60 tons annually.
CARB's funding comes from its Sustainable Heavy-Duty Future Technology Program (SHIFT), an incentive fund supported by the California Climate Investments. Harbor Breeze Cruises invested $7.5 million in the "El Escudo" and is advancing more low-emission and zero-emission vessels. A second hybrid vessel under the LA MER project (with an additional $7.5 million in matching funds) and a third separately funded vessel are currently under development.
As part of the grant project, the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach have each committed $250,000 to support a technical assessment study on harbor craft and related technologies. During the 12-month project demonstration period, both ports will each fund at least 50 sightseeing voyages using zero-emission capable vessels. In addition to the CARB grant, the Port of Los Angeles has committed $2.45 million through its Technology Advancement Program, and the Port of Long Beach has committed $1.05 million, to support harbor craft charging infrastructure and other vessel technology developments not covered by the original grant.
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