Aspin Kemp & Associates (AKA) is proud to announce a partnership agreement with Niigata Power Systems to co-promote AKA’s XeroPoint Hybrid Marine Propulsion System and Niigata’s Z-Peller ® propulsion package. The partnership offers a hybrid propulsion package for the marine industry that dramatically reduces emissions and engine maintenance, while offering significant fuel savings for vessel operators.

Aspin Kemp & Associates (AKA) and Foss Maritime Company with their technology partner XeroPoint Energy, have received U.S. patent protection for their hybrid propulsion and energy management system. AKA, a Canadian system integrator and marine engineering company partnered with Foss, which owns and operates one of the largest tug and barge fleets on the U.S. West Coast, in developing this innovative technology.

As we begin to deck the halls and prepare for upcoming holiday festivities, AKA is gearing up for a final hurrah heading into the New Year. The International WorkBoat Show has become a main fixture in AKA’s conference circuit over the past five years. With 1,000 companies exhibiting and thousands more delegates in attendance, the WorkBoat Show is the largest commercial marine tradeshow in North America

Recently, WorkBoat technical editor Bruce Buls visited Foss Maritime's Rainier Shipyard on the Columbia River to get a look at the tug Campbell Foss as it undergoes conversion from traditional propulsion to hybrid technology. Buls got a chance to speak with VP Susan Hayman and project manager Rick McKenna about just what the conversion entails for this Dolphin-class tug, similar to the Carolyn Dorothy, which was purpose-built as a hybrid.