Centerline and EBDG Partner to Build Barges for Portable Clean Power
Marine energy transportation company Centerline Logistics has formed an exclusive partnership with naval architecture and engineering firm Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) to construct and deploy a series of barge-based clean power solutions for ports lacking conventional shore power infrastructure.
EBDG's patent-pending Clean Harbor Alternative Mobile Power (CHAMP) barge is an innovative floating platform, capable of reducing ship emissions by up to 93% while they are idling in port. The first deployments of CHAMP will be powered by methanol-fueled generator technology and offer a power range of 6 to 16 Megawatts, providing a flexible, portable, and cost-effective alternative to traditional shore-based power infrastructure. Methanol, widely available across the country, burns cleanly with low emissions, making it an ideal fuel for this application.
For the U.S. domestic market, CHAMP will be a U.S. Coast Guard-inspected vessel, eliminating the need for shoreside permitting or infrastructure. This safe, economic barge can be easily repositioned to meet operational requirements, enabling ports to achieve emission reduction goals without the extensive investment typically required for shore power installations.
"As ports prioritize emissions reductions, finding ways to manage all sources of negative carbon emissions, both underway and moored, becomes crucial," said Ravi Sekhon, Director of Engineering & Sustainability at Centerline Logistics. "CHAMP offers ports and shipping companies a practical and sustainable solution for emission reduction. Centerline is excited to provide our government and commercial customers around the globe with a safe and reliable cold-ironing solution that is exclusively available through our partnership with EBDG."
“EBDG’s CHAMP barge is a groundbreaking solution for reducing port emissions,” said Michael Complita, VP of Strategic Expansion at Elliott Bay Design Group. “Our team developed CHAMP to deliver multi-megawatt clean power wherever it's needed, without relying on permanent shoreside installations. We are excited to partner with Centerline to bring this technology into operation, ensuring it makes a positive impact across the maritime industry.”
Centerline and EBDG plan to announce CHAMP fleet locations and deployments beginning in 2025, marking the next step in their exclusive collaboration to bring innovative emission-reducing technologies to the market.
In 2021, Centerline announced its Visionary Fuels Initiative, which aims to leverage Centerline’s assets and expertise to develop future marine transportation equipment, standards and technology targeted toward improving environmental stewardship and sustainability within America’s ports and harbors.
