Los Angeles-based electric boat company, Arc has secured a $160 million contract with US marine company Curtin Maritime for hybrid-electric ship assist tugboats.
The workboats will be built in collaboration with Snow & Co shipyard, with the project marking what is believed to be the largest commercial deployment of electric workboats in the marine industry history.
The first four tugboats are committed for delivery before the end of 2027.
Each tugboat will be powered by Arc’s electric powertrains, delivering more than 4,000hp and backed by a 6 megawatt-hour battery buffer.
The tugboats are being designed in collaboration with Curtin Maritime and will be designed to provide performance in the toughest port environments.
We’re at an inflection point for the entire marine industry.
Mitch Lee
“Tugboats are the workhorses of our ports. They’re critical for our national supply chains and defense logistics, yet are largely powered by outdated, unreliable, and harmful diesel engines,” explained Mitch Lee, CEO of Arc.
“Our goal is to rebuild the commercial industry around modern, efficient, and reliable hybrid-electric powertrains, and this deal is a huge first step to doing exactly that. We’re at an inflection point for the entire marine industry.”
Martin Curtin, CEO of Curtin Maritime, added: “At Curtin, we don’t wait for someone else to build the future, we build it ourselves.
Low maintenance fleet
“We’re focused on innovation that drives real efficiency and cost savings for our operations. These tugs will do exactly that by delivering the power and reliability we need while giving us a smarter, low maintenance fleet.
“Partnering with Arc gives us the tech to do what we do best — challenge the status quo and deliver results.”
The contract builds on Arc’s recreational craft including the Arc One, Arc Sport, and Arc Coast.
The project is currently funded by private investment.
