Hybrid-electric Towboat Makes Waves into the Future
Kirby Corporation’s Green Diamond hybrid-electric towboat is a first-of-its-kind. It is a quieter vessel with 60% reduced emissions, while being equal in power to a traditional towboat.
William Patterson, better known as Billy, has been on the water for over 30 years. His job is more than just a job; it is meaningful to his life. He started working at marinas and ports for his father when he was a young man, progressing to fishing boats, scuba boats, dive boats, captaining, and then finally working on towboats.
Towing vessels is a tough job. The crew of Green Diamond are on the water for 20 days out of the month and spend more time on the vessel than they do at home. The vessel is their second home, and work becomes a family affair, from days moving barges through the Houston Ship Channel to breaking bread together.
Looking back at Billy’s history on the water, and the different vessels he’s captained, never in his wildest dreams did he think he’d be navigating through Port of Houston waterways on a hybrid powered towboat like Green Diamond.
Read the transcript
Read the transcript
Duration: 3:48 minutes
Description:
This video follows Billy’s work as captain of the Green Diamond towboat, chartered by Shell, advancing lower-emission marine transport through the USA’s first hybrid diesel-electric towboat.
EF12 - Green Diamond - Picture Lock Transcript
[Background music plays]
The background instrumentals shift fluidly between jazz, electronic, hip hop and rock, creating a distinctive yet cohesive soundscape. Rhythms range from upbeat and energetic to smooth and balanced, with nods to The Sound of Shell throughout.
Video footage
The scene opens on a high-angle zooming shot of an industrial waterfront area with several boats docked, large storage silos on the left, and various industrial structures in the background under a cloudy sky.
William ‘Billy’ Patterson
My name is William Patterson. They call me Billy. I'm the captain of the Green Diamond.
Video footage
Billy, wearing a red life jacket and carrying a bag, strides along the dock, approaching the shot. A docked boat and several parked vehicles are visible in the background. Billy approaches the Green Diamond’s gangway and boards the towboat.
Billy Patterson
Good morning, Brent!
Brent
Good morning, Billy. How’s it going, man?
Billy Patterson
Doing pretty good, brother.
Video footage
Eye-level footage shows Billy greeting Brent, a crew member, on the towboat as he boards. They shake hands and pull into a quick shoulder hug.
Billy Patterson
I've been working on the water for over 30 years, been captaining for 20.
Video footage
Interview footage of Billy sitting confidently in a chair, dressed in a uniform adorned with name and company patches, aboard a boat with a window view of the water stretching behind him. Next, high- and low-angle footage show Billy, wearing his life jacket, climbing a set of stairs on the boat.
Billy Patterson
I started out working on marinas and ports, and then progressed into fish boats. Finally ended up working on towboats. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that I would be on a boat like this.
Video footage
Low-angle footage of the American and EU flags flying from the towboat, seen against a grey sky. Various drone shots show the Green Diamond docked alongside other towboats and barges. Additional drone shots highlight the boat’s signage, including the Green Diamond name, the Kirby company logo and the unique ‘Eco-Tug’ logo.
[Text displays]
Kirby’s Green Diamond is the USA’s first hybrid diesel-electric powered towboat.
Its emissions are 60% reduced compared to a conventional towing vessel.
*Since entering service on April 2024, Green Diamond's diesel engines have on average 53 hours of runtime per month compared to a conventional vessel’s average 300 hours of runtime per month, resulting in an estimated 60% reduction in emissions compared to a conventional vessel.
Video footage
Aerial footage of a large red-and-white barge being towed by a towboat across a wide river, with a distant shoreline and overcast sky in the background. Text transitions into view, appearing at the center and along the lower portion of the frame.
Billy Patterson
Green Diamond’s coming out of Old River.
Video footage
Close-up footage of Billy speaking into a walkie talkie from the bridge.
Billy Patterson
It's nice knowing that as we're running this vessel, we help lower the emissions for the industry. We average about two thirds of the time on batteries and about 10% of the time on generators, and the rest is shore power.
Video footage
Drone footage of a bustling port area featuring multiple barges docked along the waterways, with a closer, zooming shot of the Green Diamond departing the dock near the large industrial facility with towering silos. Close-up of Billy gripping and controlling a lever on the bridge, with the shot tilting up to show his head turned, looking out over the water. Zooming shot of a gray metal door with a small square window, labeled with “High Voltage” and “Restricted Area Authorized Personnel Only” signs. More drone footage of the towboat moving through the waterway. Point of view footage of the water rushing past the towboat, churning and rippling as the vessel steadily moves through the waterway, with the distant industrial port fading into the background.
Billy Patterson
Normally, the industry's always been run off of diesel. People that have been on other vessels come on here find it kind of eerie because it is so quiet.
Video footage
Close-up profile view of Billy standing on the bridge, looking out over the waterway, followed by point-of-view footage of the port passing in the background, then more drone footage of Green Diamond pulling out of port, passing barges and other vessels. Point-of-view footage of Billy, seen from behind, looking out over the port as he steers the boat. Drone footage of the Green Diamond moving through the port waters emphasizes the quiet purr of the engine as the background music briefly gives way to silence and the crying of gulls.
Billy Patterson
Remember the old vessel we used to drive, the Thor?
Crew member
Yeah.
Billy Patterson
And how it used to shake all the time, and that the engines were really extremely loud.
Video footage
The scene shifts from drone footage of the Green Diamond to Billy on the bridge, steering the vessel as he chats to another crew member. Close-up of Billy’s hand on the lever.
Billy Patterson
Around the port, the other vessels thought that it would never work, it was just for show, it would never ever push a barge.
Video footage
Drone shots of the harbor as the Green Diamond navigates through the waterway, passing barges and other vessels.
Billy Patterson
And then as we started moving barges every day, they saw us moving so much, now they really respect the vessel.
Video footage
Close-up shots of a computer screen display an EV battery system interface, featuring a schematic diagram with multiple green battery icons and numerical values, dynamically updating to reflect the vessel's electrical performance. Another close-up of Billy’s hand on the lever, followed by point-of-view footage of Billy, seen from behind, looking out over the harbor. Drone shots of the harbor as the Green Diamond navigates through the waterway, passing multiple barges.
Billy Patterson
Roger on that. Overtake you on the two whistles.
Video footage
Close-up footage of Billy speaking into a walkie talkie from the bridge. Another point-of-view shot of Billy, seen from behind, looking at a map graphic on the bridge, seen against the background of the port.
Billy Patterson
They'll tell their crew, it's the way of the future. It’s coming.
Video footage
Interview footage of Billy sitting in his chair aboard the Green Diamond, with the window view of the water stretching behind him. Panning drone shot of the Green Diamond as a squawking gull passes the shot.
[Text displays]
Shell Energy provides electrical power matched 100% by Green-e® certified renewable energy certificates to charge the vessel’s battery system.
Video footage
Aerial footage of the Green Diamond approaching its docking position in the harbor, its lights illuminated against a dusk-like backdrop. Text transitions into view, appearing at the center of the frame.
Billy Patterson
Whenever we get back to the boat dock after our job, we plug it in. It normally takes between four and six hours to charge. It's just like charging an EV car. We plug in, and then we turn it on.
Video footage
A series of footage shows Billy and a crew member charging the boat at a Shell-branded charging point on the dock. They pull and secure the charging point to the boat. Close-up footage shows Billy speaking to the off-camera interviewer while standing next to the charging station. Next, close-up footage shows the charging nozzle plugged in and secured. Another close-up shows a key being inserted into the charging station’s console and turned.
Brent
Who’s ready for fajitas and nachos?
Video footage
Aerial footage of the docked Green Diamond. The scene shifts to a warmly lit kitchen, where Brent, a crew member, is cooking and interacting with the crew. A close-up shot shows the food being stirred in the pan as it cooks.
Billy Patterson
During lunch time, that's where our whole crew gets together. This is a high-demand job. We spend 20 days out of the month on the boat. We're out on the vessel more than we are at our home. This is our second family out on the water.
Billy Patterson
Good job, Brent.
Brent
Thank you.
Video footage
Interview footage of Billy sitting in his chair aboard the Green Diamond, with the window view of the water stretching behind him. A series of footage shows Billy and the crew eating and socializing around a table. This is followed by a quick cut back to interview footage of Billy, then back to the crew eating and socializing around the table.
[Text displays]
Shell has chartered the vessel to move their cargo through the Houston Ship Channel.
Video footage
Drone footage shows Green Diamond moving through the Houston channel. Text transitions into view, appearing at the center of the frame.
Billy Patterson
Shell has been involved with this vessel from the start. This port has so many different products that go through it, whether it's cars, freight, chemicals, all this stuff to keep America running.
Video footage
Interview footage of Billy sitting in his chair aboard the Green Diamond, with the window view of the water stretching behind him. A series of footage shows vessels of all types traversing the channel.
Billy Patterson
Green Diamond’s going to be shifting two barges over here.
Video footage
Point-of-view close-up footage of Billy, seen from behind, looking out over barges as he speaks into a walkie-talkie. Close-up of Billy’s hand pulling a lever on the bridge, followed by drone shots of multiple barges in the harbor.
Billy Patterson
We push two 30,000 barrel barges. These barges are 300 ft by 54 ft wide, each one.
Video footage
Drone shots of Green Diamond and other towboats maneuvering barges in port.
Billy Patterson
The power of the hybrid electric vessel, it’s equivalent to a conventional boat.
Video footage
A series of footage shows the crew at work. A crew member tightens a rope around a mooring bollard, while Brent supervises and signals with a thumbs-up to the bridge above.
Billy Patterson
Hey, y'all can go ahead and start untying.
Video footage
Profile-view close-up footage of Billy speaking into a walkie talkie from the bridge, with multiple barges visible through the windows. Drone shot of a barge in port, then a closer view of Brent on the barge, throwing a coil of rope into the air.
[Text displays]
90% of the world’s goods are shipped by sea.
The shipping industry remains one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonize.
Video footage
Drone footage of multiple barges in the harbor under an evening sky. Text transitions into view, appearing at the center of the frame.
Billy Patterson
It's nice to be on the cutting edge of the industry.
Video footage
Aerial footage of the Green Diamond passing barges and vessels as it moves through port under an evening sky.
Billy Patterson
Every day we learn. It’s a learning curve for us. Green Diamond shows where the future is going and it's exciting.
Video footage
A series of drone shots showcases the Green Diamond as it moves through port under an evening sky to the sound of gulls crying.
Video footage and animated sequence
We end on a yellow background sequence, where we see various people, ending with Billy, successively posing against the yellow background and smiling into the camera. An animated Pecten shape displays at frame-center over the flashing images, yellow neon light appearing to move around the outline in a chasing effect. Successively larger Pecten shapes briefly pulsate out from the original shape.
[Audio]
Shell brand mnemonic played on keys
[Text displays]
Powering Progress Together
© Shell International Limited 2025
[Animated sequence]
The prior scene transitions with a contraction effect, closing in the shape of the Pecten and disappearing at the center of the frame, leaving a white background. The small classic red and yellow Pecten transitions in to display at frame-center against the white background. Text displays below the Pecten and along lower frame.
[Text displays]
The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this content “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience to reference Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ‘‘Subsidiaries’’, ‘‘Shell subsidiaries’’ and ‘‘Shell companies’’ as used in this content refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. The terms “joint venture”, “joint operations”, “joint arrangements”, and “associates” may also be used to refer to a commercial arrangement in which Shell has a direct or indirect ownership interest with one or more parties. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.
[Graphic]
A paragraph of text displays at the center of a white background.
William Patterson“Around the port, the other vessels thought the towboat would never work, and it was just for show. Then as we started moving barges every day, they saw us moving so much, now they really respect Green Diamond.”
Decarbonizing the shipping industry, one tow at a time
The Houston Ship Channel is a site to see. It’s estimated 22,000 ships move through the channel annually. It’s a choreographed dance of vessels of all sizes, moving cargo of all types, including consumer goods, fuel supplies, and shipping containers through the waters. The towboats that push some of those vessels need power, which has traditionally required diesel fuel - until now. Kirby Corporation (Kirby) introduced the first US plug-in hybrid-electric inland towing vessel, Green Diamond. It is a first-of-its-kind vessel that runs on both battery and traditional engines, partially powered by 100% renewable electricity* supplied by Shell Energy Solutions, backed by Green-e® certified renewable energy certificates, which charge the vessel’s battery systems. The result is a quieter vessel with 60% reduced emissions**, while being equal in power to a traditional towboat.
Green Diamond first catches your eye, then your ear
Two batteries power the 74x30-foot towing vessel for the equivalent of 1,800 horsepower. For reference, a typical car on the road today has between 180 and 200 horsepower. Operationally, the towboat runs on electric batteries two-thirds of the time, only using generators about ten percent of the time, and the rest is shore power, which is the land-based power supply. The most noticeable difference is that when battery power is on, the rumbling sound of a traditional engine is missing. Once the towboat pulls into the dock after its shift, it normally takes between four and six hours to charge, similar to charging an electric vehicle.
The questions the crew of Green Diamond first faced by other operators on the water have been answered by seeing the towboat’s powerful and energy efficient design at work. The operational results and crew delivery have gained respect among their traditional peers. Hybrid or fully electric towboats could be the wave of the future; Billy and his team are onboard.
William Patterson“It's nice to be on the cutting edge and see what the future holds with the technology we're applying to the marine industry.”
Frequently asked questions
What is the role of renewable energy credits as a sustainable solution?
What is the role of renewable energy credits as a sustainable solution?
Electricity supplied by Shell Energy Solutions is backed by renewable energy credits (RECs) providing 100% renewable electricity*in the absence of on-site renewable generation. For more information on RECs, visit Renewable Energy Certificates — What they are and why they matter to your business
Where is the Shell Energy charging station located?
Where is the Shell Energy charging station located?
The charging station is located at a Kirby facility along the Houston Ship Channel, making it convenient and efficient to charge the towboat batteries.
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*Shell Energy Solutions TX PUCT #10174
**Since entering service in April 2024, Green Diamond's diesel engines have averaged 53 hours of runtime per month compared to a conventional vessel’s average 300 hours of runtime per month, resulting in an estimated 60% reduction in emissions compared to a conventional vessel.
