Los Angeles-based electric boat developer Arc has announced a US$160m contract with Curtin Maritime for eight hybrid-electric ship assist tugboats. Built in collaboration with Snow & Co shipyard, the project marks the largest commercial deployment of electric workboats in marine industry history. The first four tugboats are scheduled for delivery before the end of 2027.
Each tugboat will be powered by Arc’s vertically integrated electric powertrains, delivering over 4,000hp and backed by a 6MWh battery buffer. They are being designed in close collaboration with Curtin Maritime to ensure real-world performance in port environments.
“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 They’re critical for our national supply chains and defense logistics, yet are largely powered by outdated, unreliable and harmful diesel engines,” said Mitch Lee, CEO of Arc.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.”
“At Curtin, we don’t wait for someone else to build the future, we build it ourselves,” said Martin Curtin, CEO. “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.”