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Tag: BC Ferries | Ferry Shipping News

Jan 23
3

ABB To Power Four Hybrid Ferries For BC Ferries

By | 2026 Newsletter week 04 | No Comments

ABB will supply a complete package of power, propulsion and control systems for four new double-ended passenger and car ferries for BC Ferries.

The vessels will replace four end-of-life ships and form part of BC Ferries’ New Major Vessels programme, supporting capacity growth and lower-emission operations in the Strait of Georgia.

Key facts:

  • Four hybrid-electric double-ended ferries.
  • Order booked in Q4 2025.
  • Delivery from 2029.
  • Builder: China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyard.

Propulsion and power:

  • ABB Azipod® gearless, steerable electric propulsion.
  • Reduced maintenance due to fewer moving parts.
  • Special propeller design lowers underwater radiated noise, benefiting sensitive marine life such as the Southern Resident killer whale.
  • ABB Onboard DC Grid™ for efficient power distribution and lower conversion losses.

Energy storage and charging:

  • Up to 70 MWh of battery capacity per vessel.
  • Hybrid operation using biofuel or renewable diesel.
  • Designed for future full-electric, zero-emission operation.
  • Shore charging capability above 60 MW, enabling fast port turnarounds.

ABB will also provide digital solutions to support operational awareness, safety and efficiency, contributing to a quieter and more sustainable ferry service.

Source: ABB

Aug 01
3

BC Ferries Supports Local Ship Recycling Industry

By | 2025 Newsletter week 31 | No Comments

BC Ferries is investing in local ship recycling by dismantling two retired Bowen-class ferries – BOWEN QUEEN and POWELL RIVER QUEEN – in British Columbia.

  • Work led by Marine Recycling Corporation (MRC) at Esquimalt Graving Dock and Surrey.
  • Up to 25 Point Hope Maritime employees involved.
  • Initiative avoids costly cross-country transport and supports BC jobs.
  • Complies with WorkSafeBC, Transport Canada, and environmental standards.

More than 900 vessels in BC will require disposal over the next decade. This project marks a first step in building west coast recycling capacity.

Jun 14
3

BC Ferries Selects Chinese Shipyard for Four New Major Vessels

By | 2025 Newsletter week 24 | No Comments
  • Scandlines will invest over EUR 31 million to convert two of the four Puttgarden–Rødby ferries into plug-in hybrids. (DEUTSCHLAND and SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN)
  • The goal is to cut CO₂ emissions by up to 80% using renewable electricity.
  • Each ferry will be fitted with a 5 MWh battery system.
  • Charging will take place in just 12 minutes at Puttgarden and Rødby terminals.
  • The conversion contract has been awarded to BLRT Grupp Western Shiprepair (Lithuania).
  • Work on the first ferry starts in August 2025; both conversions to be completed by early 2026.
  • Scandlines reaffirms its commitment to protecting the Baltic Sea and operating sustainably in the sensitive Fehmarn Belt area.
  • The German Ministry of Transport has awarded the project financial support, which covers up to 40 percent of the conversion expenses.

Photo: Matthias Tasler/Scandlines

May 30
3

Damen Launches Fully Electric-Ready Ferry for BC Ferries

By | 2025 Newsletter week 22 | No Comments

Damen Shipyards Galati has launched a new Island Class ferry for BC Ferries. The vessel, a Damen RoRo 8117 E3, is the first of four new battery-equipped diesel-hybrid ferries. All are designed for full electric operation once terminal charging infrastructure is in place.

This latest ferry—the seventh Damen-built ship for BC Ferries—will serve routes between Nanaimo and Gabriola Island, and Campbell River and Quadra Island. Each vessel can carry up to 47 vehicles and 390 passengers, with recharging during embarkation using renewable energy.

The launch was part of a week of major milestones at Damen. The yard also laid the keel for the ninth vessel and cut steel for the tenth. BC Ferries’ Executive Director of Shipbuilding Ed Hooper attended the events, alongside Canada’s Ambassador to Romania, Gavin Buchan.

In addition to the ships, Damen is supplying the onshore charging systems. Deliveries are scheduled for 2027, with continued support from Damen’s Canadian Service Hub in Victoria.

Apr 06
3

Disappointment for BC Ferries: 4, not 5 ships

By | 2025 Newsletter week 14 | No Comments

The BC Ferry Commission has approved the procurement of four new vessels—not the five BC Ferries had proposed.

That missing ship could mean longer waits, fewer sailings, and rising fare pressures in the years ahead.

“We’re disappointed,” said CEO Nicolas Jimenez. “We had a cost-effective plan to build capacity and resilience now. This decision risks missing a crucial opportunity to meet growing demand affordably.”

BC Ferries warns that the current shipbuilding conditions won’t last, and delaying the fifth vessel will likely cost more—financially and in service reliability.

The company now shifts focus to delivering four vessels while reassessing how to serve a growing population with mounting expectations.

Commissioner Eva Hage authorised the replacement of the ferry fleet’s four oldest major vessels: QUEEN OF ALBERNI, QUEEN OF NEW WESTMINSTER, QUEEN OF COQUITLAM and QUEEN OF COWICHAN.

BC Ferries is currently in the middle of a transparent, competitive global procurement process to select the highest quality, most affordable bid for the shipyard that will build the New Major Vessels. This process is expected to complete by early summer.

Dec 20
2

BC Ferries Hope for Approval for Five New Major Vessels

By | 2024 Newsletter week 51 | No Comments

BC Ferries has now formally submitted its plan to build five New Major Vessels (NMVs) to the BC Ferries Commissioner for approval. [press release]

  • The NMV project proposes to replace four aging vessels and add one new vessel to the fleet, adding critical space on the busiest routes between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island.
  • This will reduce wait times and boost overall capacity by up to 28% for passengers and 19% for vehicles.
  • The first of these vessels is expected to enter service in 2029, with five operational by 2031.
  • The public can provide feedback until mid-January 2025.
Sep 20
2

BC Ferries will order five large, green ferries

By | 2024 Newsletter week 38 | No Comments

BC Ferries is advancing its New Major Vessels project, the largest capital investment in the company’s history, to address population growth, replace aging vessels, and meet customer demands. 

 The procurement process for the first five of seven new vessels is underway, with the remaining two to follow in a later phase.  

The new vessels, designed with LMG Marin, will significantly increase capacity and improve energy efficiency.  

A phased approach will allow BC Ferries to manage investments carefully, minimize fare pressures, and refine the final designs based on performance insights.  

 The first ship is expected to enter service in 2029, with all five operational by 2031. 

 Press release: BC Ferries 

Sep 06
2

BC Ferries wraps historic summer and prepares for refit season

By | 2024 Newsletter week 36 | No Comments

BC Ferries has concluded a historic summer, marking the busiest season in its 64-year history, with over five million passengers and two million vehicles transported in June and July. As the summer ends, the company is now focusing on its annual refit season, beginning with repairs on the aging QUEEN OF NEW WESTMINSTER, among others. This refit season is part of BC Ferries’ commitment to safety and fleet modernization, with new major vessels planned to address growing demand and operational challenges. 

For more details, you can visit the full release here. 

Jul 19
2

Damen cuts first steel on four full electric ferries for BC Ferries

By | 2024 Newsletter week 29 | No Comments

Damen Shipyards Galati yard cut first steel on the first two of four, fully electric Island Class Ferries that it is building for BC Ferries, on 16 July. 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 2,000 kilowatt-hour of electricity, the vessels will carry up to 47 vehicles and 390 passengers. 

Damen will also 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 RoRo 8113 E3 model. The design features Damen’s in-house quality label E3, standing for Environmentally Friendly, Efficient in Operation and Economically Viable.   

Photo from left to right: Ed Hooper (Executive Director Shipbuilding BCF), Mark Vermeulen (Managing Director Damen OSV), Richard Tijpens (PM Damen OSV) Dragos Cojocariu (PM Damen Shipyards Galati), David Tolman (Program Manager BCF) 

Mar 01
1

BC Ferries: first look at new major vessel concepts

By | 2024 Newsletter week 09 | No Comments

Two conceptual renderings of BC Ferries’ New Major Vessels program are the first look at what up to seven new ferries could look like when they enter operation starting in 2029.

The ferries will carry up to 360 standard sized vehicles and 2,100 people, compared to a capacity of 250-310 vehicles and 1,200-1,500 people on retiring vessels. The vessels will be standardized with others in the fleet to allow BC Ferries to be more flexible in moving them between routes when maintenance or refits are required, without disrupting customer travel.

The basic design for these vessels is being developed in collaboration with LMG Marin AS in order to maximize efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The design calls for engines capable of using bio- and renewable fuels and includes a battery-hybrid propulsion system that will allow for conversion to full battery-electric operation once shore-based recharging infrastructure becomes available.

BC Ferries issued a Request for Supplier Qualification (RFSQ) for its New Major Vessels program. The RFSQ is available through the international shipbroker Clarksons, as well as on bcbid.gov.bc.ca. It will close on March 22, 2024. Qualified shipyards will then have the opportunity to take part in the Request for Proposal (RFP) process, currently expected to occur in the summer of 2024.