Blakeley BoatWorks delivered the 110′×33′ linehaul towboat Gretch-en V. Cooper to Cooper Marine & Timberlands Corp. (CMT) in March. BBW and CMT, both located in Mobile, Ala., are wholly owned subsidiaries of Cooper/T. Smith. The company said the new 6,800-hp towboat, which has a maximum 8′6″ working draft, is the U.S.'s first linehaul towing vessel powered by a Tier 4 Caterpillar highspeed engine system with selective catalytic reduction. Currently, Tier-4 diesel engine standards are the strictest Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions requirements for new engines found in inland marine vessels. Tier-4 compliant engines are designed to significantly reduce emissions of particulate matter, or black soot, and nitrogen oxides to near zero levels. The engines are also manufactured to save fuel and reduce emissions by more than 86% for large applications like marine vessels.
展开▼
