American shipping company Curtin Maritime has announced a major $160 million investment to build eight hybrid electric tugboats.
The vessels will be constructed at Snow & Co shipyard and equipped with vertically integrated Arc electric propulsion systems delivering over 4,000 hp, supported by 6 MWh buffer batteries.
According to Arc, this will be the largest commercial deployment of electric workboats in U.S. maritime history. The first four tugboats are scheduled for delivery by the end of 2027.
Notably, the project is fully funded through private investment, highlighting the strong economic potential of hybrid electric vessel construction.
“Tugboats are the workhorses of our ports. They are critical to our national supply chains and defense logistics, yet they are still largely powered by outdated, unreliable, and polluting diesel engines,” said Mitch Lee, CEO of Arc.
“These tugboats will provide the power and reliability we need while making our fleet smarter and easier to maintain,” added Martin Curtin, CEO of Curtin Maritime.
