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A new chapter in low-emission passenger vessel operations has begun in Southern California with the entry into service of El Escudo, a hybrid passenger craft developed through a partnership involving Harbor Breeze Cruises, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach. The 350-passenger vessel completed its maiden voyage through the Port of Los Angeles' Main Channel on May 25th and is now based in San Pedro Bay, where it will support harbor tours, whale-watching excursions and special-event cruises.
Designed with a parallel hybrid propulsion system, El Escudo can operate in fully electric, diesel or hybrid modes. The vessel exceeds both U.S. EPA Tier 4 and CARB Commercial Harbor Craft emissions standards and is expected to spend at least 30% of its operating time in zero-emission mode, with some voyages capable of being conducted entirely on battery power. The vessel can operate for up to two hours solely on battery energy, depending on operational requirements.
Harbor Breeze Cruises indicated that the vessel forms part of a broader effort to reduce operational emissions within San Pedro Bay and acknowledged the support provided by CARB and the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in bringing the project to fruition.
The project was developed under the Los Angeles Marine Emission Reduction (LA MER) initiative, supported by a US$31 million CARB grant and approximately US$30 million in matching contributions from project partners. Together with additional emission-reduction projects, including renewable diesel-powered ferry operations, the initiative is projected to reduce more than 60 tonnes of emissions annually.
Public officials and project partners described the vessel as an example of how investment in advanced maritime technology can contribute to improved air quality in port communities while demonstrating the viability of low- and zero-emission harbor craft. Port authorities noted that El Escudo illustrates the growing practicality of zero-emission marine transport, while CARB representatives highlighted its role in advancing technologies that could be replicated elsewhere in California.
The vessel was built by All American Marine and measures 108 feet in length with a beam of 32.5 feet. Its propulsion package combines twin diesel engines, battery energy storage and electric traction motors, enabling multiple operating modes including conventional diesel propulsion, fully electric operation, battery charging while underway and shoreside charging. The design was developed specifically for passenger operations in the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbor complex while meeting some of the most stringent emissions requirements currently in force in North America.
Harbor Breeze Cruises has invested approximately US$7.5 million in the vessel and is continuing development of additional low- and zero-emission craft. A second hybrid vessel under the LA MER programme and a third independently funded vessel are already under development, reflecting the operator's longer-term commitment to cleaner harbor operations.
In support of the programme, both the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach have contributed funding toward technology evaluation studies and demonstration voyages, while additional investments have been allocated to charging infrastructure and related vessel technologies. These initiatives are intended to support wider adoption of alternative propulsion systems within the harbor craft sector.
Fuente: Cruise Mapper
