Corvus Energy has been selected by Alcatraz City Cruises to supply the battery system for retrofitting to the ‘Hornblower Hybrid NY’ passenger ferry.
Within the US, California is leading the nation in emissions reduction initiatives and within the US marine sector, San Francisco based Alcatraz City Cruises, a part of City Experiences, says it is a leader in green technology adoption.
Alcatraz City Cruises was the first to introduce hybrid-powered passenger ferry service in the US. Two vessels, the Alcatraz Flyer and the Alcatraz Clipper, currently offer transit to Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay. Completing multiple rounds per day, the operation carries thousands of passengers daily and nearly 1.7m total annually powered by electric propulsion. Both vessels use a Corvus Energy battery system.
Following the success of Alcatraz City Cruises’ hybrid vessels, City Experiences introduced the first hybrid passenger ferry service on the East Coast and expanded its hybrid vessel program to other US locations. City Experiences reports the Hornblower Hybrid design reduced fuel consumption by 75% and estimates their hybrid fleet annually saves over 235,000 gallons of fuel each year.
The Hornblower Hybrid NY, a vessel retrofit project requiring a 1,627KWh battery energy storage system (ESS), will be the third City Experiences vessel in California with a Corvus ESS onboard. Corvus Energy will deliver the system from its newly established, US based manufacturing facility in Bellingham, Washington. Delivery is expected by September 2023.
Ole Jacob Irgens, Corvus Energy EVP said: “We are very pleased to be chosen by Alcatraz City Cruises for the Hornblower Hybrid NY project. City Experiences were amongst the early adaptors in the United States – leading the way in US marine sector electrification, decarbonisation, and greenhouse gas reduction initiatives.”
