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Hybrid tugboat may give local ports a green push
For all of its 21st-century advancements, the shipping industry drags a lot of
old technology around.
Giant vessels are so sophisticated these days that
they require only a handful of crew members. But the ships still burn a thick,
dirty sludge called bunker fuel while at sea and slurp diesel to keep the lights
and air conditioning running while in port.
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Inefficient yard tractors and cranes guzzle fuel and spew exhaust as they stack
containers. And tugboats, pound for pound the most powerful vessels on the
water, waste most of that muscle idling or cruising.
Now, as seaports try
to raise their environmental standards, some companies are finding business
opportunities.
Article Continues: http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-fi-tugboat13-2008nov13,0,6166320.story?track=rss