BC Ferries.
In recent years, West Coast ferry operators and public transportation agencies have been actively investing in vessel retrofits, new builds and shoreside infrastructure projects needed to support newer, greener ferries.
One of the biggest ferry investment announcements took place last November, when the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration announced about $220.2 million in grants from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help pay for service expansion to rural areas, buy vessels and enhance shoreside infrastructure.
The 13 grant recipients included the Washington State Department of Transportation, whose Ferry Division received $4.8 million to refurbish six ferries built between 1979 and 1982, and the state of Alaska, which was awarded almost $131.3 million toward the Alaska Marine Highway serving the state’s remote locations.
Nearly $92.8 million of Alaska’s grant award benefits the state’s Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, which is expected to use the money to construct a new ferry that replaces an almost 60-year-old ship powered by a diesel-electric propulsion system.
The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Agency (WETA) also received $15.9 million to retrofit two of its ferry floats in Alameda and San Francisco with battery energy storage system installations,
“The grants help transit agencies make investments to increase reliability, improve connections to other modes of transportation and bring older ferry systems into a state of good repair,” FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said.
Much of the investment has been driven by heightened regulatory standards, particularly in California, where ferries are among the biggest air emitters of commercial harbor craft in the state, according to the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the agency that oversees the state’s air pollution control efforts.
While ferries account for 2% of California’s harbor craft population, they generate 11% of total commercial harbor craft PM2.5, or fine particulate matter emissions, according to CARB. Ferries also create 15% of total commercial harbor craft oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions.
Since the creation of the original Commercial Harbor Craft (CHC) regulation, which was adopted in 2008 and amended in 2010, NOx and particulate emissions from main and auxiliary diesel engines onboard harbor craft have been reduced by requiring some vessel types to meet Tier 2 or Tier 3 standards for emissions, according to CARB spokeswoman Lynda Lambert.
Meanwhile, CARB staff members are in the process of implementing new CHC regulatory amendments, which were adopted in 2022 and went into effect on Jan. 1, 2023. The amendments expand regulation to more vessel types and require more sustainable upgrades and newer technology.
Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District
CARB’s amended Commercial Harbor Craft regulation impacts the fleet of seven ferries operated by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, which manages the bridge, Golden Gate Transit and Golden Gate Ferry linking commuters to Marin, Sonoma, San Francisco and Contra Costa counties.
According to the model year and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emission tier rating of the current propulsion engines, all engines in the fleet must be replaced with EPA Tier IV engines and equipped with CARB-verified diesel particulate filters, Michael Hoffman, deputy general manager of the district’s Ferry Division, said.
To prepare for the regulation, the district’s staff worked with consultants on studies exploring the feasibility of repowering the district’s ferry vessels. The studies showed that repowering the current fleet would “result in a loss of passenger capacity, reduced speed and maneuverability and significant capital investment in vessels that are nearing or have surpassed their useful life,” Hoffman said.
The district has since hired a naval architect firm to design a new fleet of replacements consisting of high-speed catamarans that could accommodate about 500 passengers and operate at speeds exceeding 30 knots.
“We are dedicated to initiating the construction of the m/v Liwa, the first in a new class of seven or eight vessels that will replace our current fleet,” Hoffman said. “This significant step marks the beginning of our fleet modernization and CARB compliance program, aimed at enhancing service efficiency and environmental sustainability.”
Sea Change
Among the newest ferry builds expected to debut this year is the Sea Change, touted as the nation’s first hydrogen fuel cell electric vessel. Construction of the 70-foot, 75-passenger e-ferry started in Alameda, Calif., with hull fabrication and superstructure by Bay Ship and Yacht, before the vessel was moved to Bellingham, Wash. There All American Marine installed the fuel cells, hydrogen storage tanks and other equipment.
Set to operate in the San Francisco Bay this year, Sea Change is the first project of SWITCH Maritime LLC, a Wyoming-based project development and asset ownership firm founded in 2018.
The company’s focus is to help operators accelerate the adoption of zero-emission vessels in the U.S. and potentially internationally, SWITCH Maritime COO Elias Van Sickle said.
“Our model is really to shoulder a lot of the complexity of… regulatory paths and technology integration required to build zero-emissions vessels and take some of that burden off the shoulders of existing operators who are focused on moving people or goods from A to B efficiently,” Van Sickle said.
SWITCH is working on scaling up the technology to larger vessels and is in the early stages of designing a 150-passenger vessel that incorporates the same technology in Sea Change that could be built as early as 2026, Van Sickle said.
The company also plans to expand its geographical market reach in California and the rest of the West Coast, he added.
“This is the beginning of what hopefully becomes a portfolio of assets,” Van Sickle said.
San Francisco Bay Ferry
Earlier this year, San Francisco Bay Ferry reaffirmed its commitment to make upgrades, expand services and electrify operations within the transit system over the next 25 years.
In May, its board of directors approved a 2050 Service Vision at SF Ferry, which operates in the cities of Alameda, Oakland, Richmond, San Francisco, South San Francisco and Vallejo.
The 2050 Service Vision and Expansion Policy calls for SF Ferry to pursue expanding current services. They include proposed near-term expansion opportunities in Berkeley, Redwood City and the San Francisco communities of Mission Bay and Treasure Island.
Other areas being considered for expansion include a direct East Bay-Marin County service, more routes serving South San Francisco and frequent service between Alameda and Oakland.
“SF Bay Ferry has successfully delivered the region’s fastest-growing and most highly-rated regional transit service, so it’s no surprise to see that there is strong interest in the expansion of the network,” Jim Wunderman, chair of the agency’s board, said.
“This service vision is a reflection of that interest and of our commitment to aggressively pursue a new golden age of ferries in the Bay Area, where this world-class system is made even better,” he added, “and is available to even more communities and more riders throughout the region.”
Adding more zero-emission ferries through new builds and retrofits are also part of the agency’s 2050 priorities.
SF Ferry, which has 13 of its 17 vessels meeting Tier 4 EPA emission standards, is already in the midst of enhancing its fleet. Its newest vessel, the m/v Delphinus, was introduced in March. The 320-passenger ferry built by Mavrik Marine of La Conner, Wash., now serves the busy Vallejo route.
In 2023, SF Ferry finished converting four 15-year-old ferries with Tier 4 propulsion, reducing diesel emissions by 80%, according to the agency.
Later this year, SF Ferry is expected to award shipyard contracts to build its first five zero-emission battery electric vessels, according to the agency, which has garnered more than $117 million toward its Rapid Electric Emission-Free (REEF) Ferry Program for the electrification of its ferry operations.
Finnish power services equipment provider Wärtsilä was chosen as the company overseeing the integration of electrification systems within the REEF program. Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group was selected to design and build a set of new 300-passenger battery-electric vessels, while San Diego-based Aurora Marine Design was chosen to work on a class of smaller battery-electric ferries that’s expected to operate on the San Francisco waterfront.
Currently, the agency’s working with the city of Vallejo on the design and permits for the $16 million Vallejo Ferry Terminal Reconfiguration Project. In March, SF Ferry received $3 million in federal funds for the project, which aims to move the ferry dock further into the Napa River to avoid costly frequent dredging.
Project construction could start as early as 2025.
Elliott Bay Design Group
The Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering services firm, with Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG), a Florida-based shipbuilder, is designing a new Fisher Island Ferry for the Fisher Island Community Association, Inc. in Florida.
ESG announced in May that it secured the ferry contract and plans to build the vessel at its facilities. When complete, the 152-foot-long ferry would be able to accommodate up to 150 passengers and 30 vehicles.
“In collaboration with FICA and Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG), this ferry will be built with yacht-style finishes and will provide safe and comfortable transportation for the residents of the Fisher Island Community,” ESG Chairman and CEO Joey D’Isernia said.
John Waterhouse, principal in charge at EBDG, said the company is excited to continue its long-standing relationship with FICA and collaborate on another exceptional ferry project.
“Partnering once more with Eastern Shipbuilding Group emphasizes our commitment to designing and delivering top-tier vessels while maintaining strong client relationships,” he said. “Together, we look forward to bringing Fisher Island’s vision to life with yet another innovative and reliable ferry design.”
The vessel is expected to be delivered in 2026, the company said.
BC Ferries
The Canadian West Coast has been pushing for more investment in new ferry builds, retrofits and shore infrastructure.
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. is embarking on a major effort to expand capacity, starting with four new hybrid electric Island Class ferries that are expected to enter service in 2027 on routes that connect Nanaimo Harbour and Gabriola Island and Campbell River and Quadra Island.
Under a separate contract, BC Ferries intends to make electrical upgrades to allow for quick shore-side charging at the four terminals on these routes; the upgrades are scheduled to be complete by vessel delivery, according to the agency.
Earlier this year, BC Ferries selected Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards Group to build the four Island Class vessels. (Damen previously constructed BC Ferries’ six Island Class ferries.)
The vessels are under design review, with steel cutting for construction expected to start soon, BC Ferries spokesperson Ceilidh Marlow said.
The vessels, which feature room for at least 47 standard-sized vehicles and up to 390 passengers and crew, are expected to run year-round in battery-electric mode using renewable electricity from the BC Hydro utility company. The vessels have the potential to curb emissions by an estimated 10,000 tons of CO2, according to BC Ferries.
BC Ferries is also planning a new series of vessels to serve its busiest routes between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Considered the world’s second biggest double-ended ferries, the LMG Marin AS-designed vessels are expected to accommodate as many as 2,100 passengers and 360 standard-sized vehicles.
The new ferries would feature engines that can use bio- and renewable fuels and a battery-hybrid propulsion system with the ability to convert to full battery-electric operation once shore-based recharging infrastructure becomes available.
“This project, our largest capital plan to-date, aims to modernize and transform ferry operations in British Columbia,” Marlow said.
The initiative requires approval from the BC Ferries board and the BC Ferries commissioner, Marlow said.
Last February, two conceptual renderings were released to the public on what the proposed set of seven ferries could look like when they are anticipated to be on the Metro Vancouver-Vancouver Island routes in 2029.
BC Ferries is in the process of seeking out shipyards interested in the project and expects to award shipbuilding contracts by early 2025, Marlow said.
Meanwhile, BC Ferries wrapped up $3.7 million in upgrades to Snug Cove Terminal this past spring, which included strengthening and replacing ramp components, berth structure restoration and new monitoring systems.
In Port McNeil, Marlow said BC Ferries is replacing the ticket booth with new infrastructure and preparing to upgrade Berth 5 at the Swartz Bay Terminal to accommodate Salish Class ferries by removing an underwater obstruction, reducing berth congestion and improving on-time performance.
KAREN ROBES MEEKS, a Southern California native, is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years’ writing experience. Her articles have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Orange County Register and Long Beach Press-Telegram, where she worked as a reporter for nearly 14 years. Her work has been recognized by the California News Publishers Association, the Associated Press News Executives Council and the Los Angeles Press Club.