JULY 2017 • FOGHORN 17 FOGHORNFOCUS: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WE LIVE AND BREATHE pAssENgER VEssELs, THAT’s THE KEY TO OUR sUCCEss Anders Rundberg, CEO of Carus We care about your customers Carus offers innovative solutions for the global passenger vessel industry, giving your customers a better experience before, during and after their journey. The Carus solution incorporates ticketing, reservations, check-in, port automation, on-board and relationship management. www.carus.com hot market. Ridership has increased 75 percent, which is phenomenal growth, so there’s a definite need for more capacity.” Stahnke said that the new engines drastically reduce emissions as required by state and federal regulations. “These new engines are 85 percent better than Tier 2,” he said. San Pedro’s Catalina Express will repower its ferry M/V Starship Express, which runs between San Pedro and Catalina Island in Southern California. According to Tony Ross, Catalina Express’ Vice President of Engineering, the repower was spurred by the California Air Resource Board (ARB) that demanded that operation reduce its emissions with a newer engine. The Starship Express is a 134-ft, 302- passenger vessel. Prior to the repower, the ferry was propelled by two 16V Photo courtesy of VIGOR. Hydrus is powered by a pair of PVA Associate member MTU 12V 4000 M64 EPA Tier 3 main engines, each producing 1453kW, combined with a Pacific Power Group SCR system. The vessel is one of the earliest passenger vessels to enter service with advanced exhaust aftertreatment to amplify ef- ficiency and it complies with the latest U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) emissions regulations and is one of the lowest emission ferries currently operating in North America. In total, WETACentral Bay will add four new ferries to its fleet, including the Hydrus, and has elected to exceed its regional Tier 3 emission requirement. These new builds will meet Tier 4 with custom power packages. The first two ferries will be rated at 1,950 hp at 1,800 rpm and the second two will be rated 1,875 hp at 1,800 rpm. PVA Associate members Nichols Boat Builders and Vigor Industries are constructing the four new builds. Also in the San Francisco Bay Area, WETA North Bay will add three new builds to its fleet. These new ferries will feature MTU’s first certified EPA Tier 4 packages delivered in the United States. Each ferry will meet Tier 4 require- ments with two MTU 16V 4000 M65L engines rated at (3,430 hp at 1,800 rpm). PVA Associate member Pacific Power Group is engaged in the project.  Why the big expansion to the fleet? Keith Stanhke, Operations Manager, explained that the San Francisco Bay Area is experience tremendous growth and that the need for new ferries is necessary. “We had started planning for expansion and new ferries 10 years ago, and the timing has worked out perfectly as the Bay Area has become a