Aspin Kemp & Associates (AKA) and Foss Maritime have received Singaporean patent protection for their jointly developed XeroPoint hybrid marine propulsion system.
AKA, a Canadian-based systems integration and marine engineering company with their technology partner XeroPoint Energy have been granted Singaporean patent protection for their hybrid propulsion system in collaboration with Foss Maritime, a Seattle-based marine transportation and logistics company.
The hybrid propulsion system has been proven to significantly reduce emissions, fuel consumption and equipment maintenance for marine vessels. The award-winning hybrid technology draws energy from various sources to optimize system operations across a wide range of propulsive load demands. “With U.S. patent protection already in place, we believe that we are well on our way to capitalizing on a sizeable share of the hybrid marine propulsion market” says Paul Jamer, VP of Corporate Development at AKA. “With two hybrid installations complete in the first quarter of 2012, we have streamlined our delivery process and we have significantly reduced the cost of ownership for our clients. As a result, the payback period for the hybrid system has decreased.”
Current hybrid propulsion systems commissioned by AKA have incorporated diesel and electric power on the same shaft line with auxiliary generators and energy storage (batteries) providing additional power for hotel and low power operations.
The hybrid system was successfully deployed in the World’s first hybrid tugboat; Foss Maritime’s Carolyn Dorothy in 2009 in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Carolyn Dorothy is now joined by her sister hybrid vessel, Campbell Foss. In early 2012, Kotug’s RT Adriaan became Europe’s first hybrid tugboat, operating as the “e-KOTUG” in the Port of Rotterdam.
Third party environmental analyses from the California Air Resources Board (CARB), have illustrated substantial reductions in emissions and fuel onboard the Carolyn Dorothy with savings of 73% in particulate matter, 51% in Sulphur and Nitrous Oxide and 27% in Carbon dioxide (the proxy for fuel). T
The hybrid propulsion system is patented in Singapore under Singapore Patent Number 162055. Additional international patents are pending.
For further information regarding the hybrid marine propulsion and energy management please contact AKA or Foss Maritime: