90' ZEEBOAT

The Shearer Group, Inc. (TSGI) was contracted by Industrial Service Solutions to provide naval architecture and marine engineering services for the design of a 95’ x 34’ all-electric towboat, to be operated in Charleston, SC. This towboat is the first in North America to run entirely on battery power. This design increases water flow to the propeller and improves overall efficiency of the barge/towboat combination by more than 10%. When coupled with an azimuth thruster pod drive system, the hull design will improve overall efficiency by more than 30% when compared to conventional towboats. TSGI was then contracted to complete a functional engineering design for the owner and the vessel design is currently out to bid for construction of four (4) vessels. During the optimization of the design, it was determined that only 3.0 MWh of battery capacity was required. TSGI continues to work for ISS through the construction, providing detail design and construction oversight services to ensure the design is completed per the owner’s specifications.