Damen Shipyards Group’s Galati yard in Romania has cut the first steel on the first two of four, fully electric Island Class Ferries that it is building for Canadian operator BC Ferries.
The ferries will be the first fully electric vessels to operate in the company’s fleet. Operating with battery packs with the capacity to supply the power train with 2,000kWh of electricity, the vessels will carry up to 47 vehicles and 390 passengers.
Damen will additionally supply BC Ferries with the required charging towers. The ferries will recharge efficiently during (dis)embarkation of passengers, using renewable electricity.
The vessels are based on Damen’s double-ended ro-ro 8113 E3 model, and will feature Damen’s in-house quality label E3, standing for Environmentally Friendly, Efficient in Operation and Economically Viable.
The commonality of the design offers BC Ferries a number of advantages. Amongst these is the increasing standardisation and interoperability of the fleet, which makes deployment and training of crew more efficient. The ferries will take the number of Damen vessels in the BC Ferries fleet to 10.
BC Ferries Executive Director Shipbuilding Ed Hooper, said: “These vessels represent a significant advancement in our fleet renewal efforts, aligning with our strategic vision for operational excellence and sustainability. The start of construction brings us one step closer to realising the benefits these vessels will bring to our customers and the communities that rely on us to get them where they need to go.”
Mark Vermeulen, Damen MD Offshore and Specialised Vessels, said: “We are thankful for the trust that BC ferries has shown to Damen with this new contract for another four vessels. Damen has already built six vessels with hybrid propulsion for BC ferries. This project with full electric vessels is a step towards zero emissions ferries for the future – an achievement aligned with the sustainability goals of both BC Ferries and Damen.”
BC Ferries is committed to upholding its responsibility to the environment, and is supporting British Columbia’s CleanBC goals, aiming to reduce emissions by 10,000t of CO2 equivalent by 2030. Damen has set itself the goal to become the most sustainable maritime solutions provider.
The ferries will operate services connecting Nanaimo with Gabriola Island, and Campbell River with Quadra Island. They are scheduled to commence operations by 2027.
Image: Damen ferry 8113 E3 (credit: Damen Shipyards)
