Friday, August 16, 2013

EPA sanctions Foss clean hybrid retrofit technology

Clean hybrid technology, currently in use at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, has received verification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to a Foss Maritime statement.

The EPA verification process tested the XeroPoint hybrid system, ensuring it was effective for harbor tugs seeking to meet the country's environmental standards, the company said.

The EPA has verified the XeroPoint Hybrid Tug Retrofit System, developed by Foss Maritime and Aspin Kemp and Associates, strives to eliminate unnecessary idling of diesel engines by determining the most efficient configuration of the electrical and mechanical devices on board.

The hybrid retrofit Campbell Foss has been working in southern California since 2012, using ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel. The University of California-Riverside, which has been testing the Foss Maritime/AKA system, found that the retrofit provided fuel savings of roughly 30 percent, a 30 percent reduction in nitrogen oxides produced during combustion and carbon dioxide, and a 35 percent reduction in carbon monoxide, the statement said.

"The Foss/AKA XeroPoint system is a great example of technology innovation to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy in the marine sector," said Jim Blubaugh, deputy director of the Transportation and Climate Office at the EPA. "By reducing diesel emissions at ports, the XeroPoint Hybrid Tugboat Retrofit System can help improve air quality and energy independence in one of our nation's most important supply chain sectors."

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