Saltchuk is committed to operating in a way that minimizes negative impacts on the environment. We are proud to make investments in clean technology and alternative fuels that have set new standards in reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality in the transportation industry.
Our Commitment
Project Highlights
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Partnering For Sustainability Safe and Responsible CO2 Disposal
Aptamus provides a water-based, cost-effective solution for large emitters located in regions such as Florida, where the geology is not conducive to carbon sequestration, and where new long-distance pipelines to suitable sequestration sites are not feasible or cost-effective.
Their model is to partner with carbon emitters to provide a full-service solution for the disposal of their captured CO2 by transporting it in specially designed CO2 ships to safe, long-term storage locations in Louisiana and Texas.
Aptamus enables its customers to reduce their negative environmental impact and contributes to a healthier, sustainable planet. Our focus on safety, transparency, and operational excellence is built on four decades of maritime transportation experience with parent company Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG, www.osg.com). This ensures that every cargo is handled with the utmost care and responsibility, and our actions adhere to the highest ethical standards.
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Tropical Shipping’s Dominica team at work during a beach clean up
Ryan Air plane loading crushed cans for transport to Anchorage where they are loaded to a TOTE ship bound for recycling in the Lower 48.
Delivering Essential Environmental Solutions
Recycling backhaul programs—utilizing returning ships, planes, and trucks to transport recyclables—represent crucial environmental innovation. Without industry partners helping to move recyclables and hazardous waste to proper facilities, remote communities would have no viable alternatives to environmentally damaging disposal methods. Our partnerships deliver more than just recycling options— they provide essential infrastructure for environmental protection and sustainable community development, demonstrating Saltchuk’s ongoing commitment to the regions we serve.
Saltchuk companies provide more than $1.7M annually in in-kind transportation to transport recyclables from Alaska and the Caribbean for processing.
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Saltchuk Marine Sets Industry Standard With Next-Generation TugThe tugs, set for delivery in 2026, comply with strict EPA Tier IV and California Air Resources Board environmental requirements. The order began Saltchuk Marine’s long-term fleet renewal project to increase efficiency, add capacity, and reduce overall fleet age.
“As the West Coast’s premier tug operator for more than a century, it’s critical that we continue to innovate and provide ship assist services in a manner that prioritizes safety and minimizes environmental impact,” said Jason Childs, Saltchuk Marine’s president and CEO.
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Lifecycle Engine Upgrades Powering ATC’s Carbon Reduction GoalsIn 2024, OSG began lifecycle engine upgrades on Alaska Tanker Company’s (ATC) Alaska Class fleet.
The $60M in upgrades will reset the nearly twenty-year-old engines to almost entirely new condition, allowing ATC’s fleet to continue operating in compliance with Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) regulations.
The upgrades are expected to contribute to almost one-third of OSG’s carbon emissions reduction goals by 2030, reducing over 20,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
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Voluntary Programs Safeguard Whales and Promote Sustainable Shipping
Saltchuk companies demonstrate a strong commitment to marine mammal protection through voluntary programs that help preserve critical marine ecosystems, protect endangered species, and ensure sustainable coexistence between commercial maritime activities and marine life that share our waterways.
On the West Coast, AmNav and Foss utilize the Whales in Our Waters training program for species identification and navigation strategies. OSG has achieved Sapphire tier status in the Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies program across California coastal regions. In Puget Sound, TOTE Maritime Alaska participates in Washington Maritime Blue’s Quiet Sound noise reduction initiatives and implements Whale Alert technology for real-time whale sighting information.
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Puerto Rico Terminals Awarded Federal Funding for Sustainable Transportation Initiative
Electric Trucks Enhance Air Quality
In 2024, Puerto Rico Terminals (PRT) was granted a significant boost to its sustainability efforts with the allocation of approximately $2.8 million from the Federal Highway Administration. This funding will facilitate the purchase of seven state-of-the-art zero-emission electric trucks and installing seven fast-charging stations at the Port of San Juan.
Seven diesel trucks will be replaced with electric models. Fast-charging stations and infrastructure upgrades will support the electric fleet, reduce emissions, and improve air quality, saving nearly 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually.
Emphasizing the significance of this milestone, Ivan Borges, Terminal Manager for Puerto Rico Terminals, expressed, “We are very proud to be awarded the funding by the Federal Highway Administration to support our environmental commitment to Puerto Rico while maintaining our efficient terminal operations.”
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Advancing Net-Zero Maritime EmissionsOSG is a proud member of the Blue Sky Maritime Coalition, a collection of industry members who recognize the need to address global climate change and collaborate to identify, evaluate, encourage, and engage in commercial and technical pathways to net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Through their participation in the coalition, OSG seeks to aid in the transition of the maritime industry in the United States and Canada toward net-zero emissions.
As part of the advocacy aspect of the Blue Sky Maritime Coalition, OSG has contributed to authoring “A Perspective on IMO Efficiency Measures,” which argues for developing common-sense measures to reduce carbon emissions. This paper has been accepted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for discussion.
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Supporting the U.S. Offshore Wind IndustryWith a proven commitment to safety and quality, the purpose-built New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal will provide transport, installation, operations, and maintenance services for the U.S. Offshore Wind Industry. The terminal, slated to open in 2023, will provide storage and laydown areas for equipment and materials, berth facilities for a range of vessels such as crew transfer vessels (CTV) and service operation vessels (SOV), as well as Foss tugs and barges. It will also house new office space for project teams, crew marshaling facilities, workspaces, and a marine coordination center for technicians supporting the offshore wind facilities in Massachusetts.
The terminal, the site of a former coal-fueled power plant, is a symbol of the transition from the past carbon-heavy fuel sources to renewable sources.
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Solar Innovation, Powering Headquarters With Renewable EnergyIn 2022, Tropical Shipping began construction on a solar photovoltaic system mounted on a custom, double-cantilever carport structure at its company offices in West Palm Beach, Florida. The system generates 85 percent of the office’s energy needs with clean, renewable power, reducing Tropical’s annual carbon footprint by approximately 735 metric tons.
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Clean Runoff, Chitosan-Enhanced Sand Filtration at Carlile TerminalOcean and Coastal Observing –Virgin Islands (OCOVI) is working with Tropical Shipping to support the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) efforts to better track and predict hurricane activity in the Caribbean using specialized drifting buoys.
The buoys provide real-time data on sea surface temperature and currents, barometric pressure, wave height, direction, and duration. Buoys launched from Tropical Shipping vessels in the southeast Caribbean were instrumental in collecting data during the last hurricane season. Tropical continues to deploy drifters through a partnership with OCOVI and NOAA.
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In 2022, TOTE Services celebrated its 300th fueling operation of the LNG bunker barge Clean Jacksonville at JAXPORT’s Blount Island Marine Terminal.
Reducing Emissions Leading With American-Made LNG Containerships
TOTE is proud to have built the world’s first natural gas-powered containerships for the U.S. maritime industry.
The Marlin-class vessels are the most advanced, environmentally responsible vessels of their kind – LNG improves human health by virtually eliminating local emissions of sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter (PM) and cutting nitrogen oxide (NOx) by up to 95%. This is particularly important in ports and heavily populated coastal areas.
Two Marlin-class vessels completed construction at General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego, CA. These American-made ships entered service in 2015 between Jacksonville, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
See ANGA’s Think About It campaign featuring the Marlin vessels.
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TOTE is not just the first in the nation to build LNG ships but also the first to convert its existing fleet to run on natural gas. TOTE Maritime Alaska’s two Orca Class vessels serving the Alaska trade were converted with minimal time out of service and returned as the most environmentally sophisticated ships in the nation.
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Advancing Zero-Landfill Solutions in AlaskaSince 2021, Carlile has participated in the Zero-Landfill Initiative, a public-private effort to reduce waste at Alaska’s national parks. It has transported thousands of pounds of recyclable waste from the Denali Borough to the Community Recycling Center in Palmer.
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Leading the Way in Eco-Friendly Terminal OperationsCompleted in May 2023, the eco-friendly Chitosan-Enhanced Sand Filtration (CESF) system is designed to clean and filter runoff before it reaches surrounding waterways, ensuring Carlile remains compliant with federal, state, and local regulations. The Tacoma freight terminal supports large shipments of essential supplies transported by vessel to Alaska.
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Committed to Environmental StewardshipThrough innovative initiatives and strategic investments in state-of-the-art technology, TOTE Group’s maritime, terminal, and services companies have invested millions of dollars to minimize environmental impacts.
In 2023, TOTE enrolled in Green Marine’s North American environmental certification program. For over 15 years, Green Marine has worked with the shipping industry to go beyond regulations. More than 187 shipowners, port authorities, terminal operators, and shipyard managers throughout Canada and the United States are currently participating in the program.
TOTE Maritime and Terminal companies completed Green Marine’s external verification in 2024, receiving Green Marine certification. TOTE Maritime Companies are the only Green Marine members in the Puerto Rico and Alaska trades. TOTE will continue to seek improvements in all aspects of its maritime and terminal operations.
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Improving Air Quality, Utilizing Electricity to Power the Ships While at PortIn 2010, TOTE Maritime Alaska completed a $2.7 million shore power project- also known as cold ironing in the maritime industry – to supply electricity to dockside vessels and reduce reliance upon shipboard generators. It became the first cargo carrier in Puget Sound, Washington, to utilize the shoreside electrical grid for power when its ships are in port.
As a result, diesel and greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 2,600 tons annually—the equivalent of removing more than 600 cars from the road each year. TOTE Maritime Alaska invested $1.2 million, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provided an additional $1.5 million. The project was part of the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy and created 50 family-wage jobs during construction.
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Rain Gardens Remove Heavy Metals and Improve Water QualityIn 2011, TOTE installed the Puget Sound region’s first industrial rain gardens at their Port of Tacoma terminal. The rain gardens, which feature almost 600 native plants, are designed to filter pollutants from water that runs off building rooftops and the property where TOTE carries out its daily operations.
Approximately a quarter of a million gallons of water are routed through the gardens each year, eliminating more than 80 percent of heavy metals that would otherwise flow directly into Commencement Bay. The rain gardens have become a centerpiece for South Sound conservationists looking for low-cost, high-impact solutions to improve water quality.
