Washington has begun the first overhaul of a diesel ferry into an electric-fuel hybrid, with the converted boat expected to be operating by September 2024.
The first overhaul of a Washington diesel ferry into an electric-fuel hybrid has begun, with the converted boat expected to be operating by September 2024.
That would be the first of eight electric or hybrid vessels to be adopted by the Washington State Ferries system over the next several years.
Overall, the ferry system — the largest in the nation — has 21 vessels handling 10 routes in Puget Sound. The system has been hit recently with a rash of mechanical problems due to the ages of the boats. The fleet handled 17.3 million people and 8.6 million vehicles in 2022.
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) officials briefed Gov. Jay Inslee on the conversion plans Wednesday.
“This is the start of a long revolution in the maritime industry. … Like every revolution, we don’t expect everything to be smooth,” Inslee said.
Washington is converting its ferry fleet to cut back on carbon emissions and diesel fuel costs. “We should be tired of being shackled to paying these outrageous prices for diesel,” Inslee said.
The first ferry to be converted, the MV Wenatchee, will have two of its four diesel engines removed and a bank of batteries installed. On its future trips, the Wenatchee will be in fuel mode to leave and enter a dock, while using battery power for the bulk of its route between Seattle and Bainbridge Island, a suburb on the opposite side of Puget Sound.
Vigor will begin work on the $150 million conversion at its Harbor Island shipyard in Seattle. The company has been contracted to convert two more ferries into hybrids after finishing work on the Wenatchee.
The state has begun training crews to operate and maintain hybrid ferries, said Amy Scarton, deputy secretary of WSDOT. The state also needs to install electric charging equipment at its docks.
The state expects to seek bids in spring 2024 to build five new electric ferries, said Matt Von Ruden, WSDOT’s system electrification program manager.
Meanwhile, the Kitsap Transit Authority told Inslee it is looking to develop an electric passenger-only hydrofoil ferry linking Seattle with Kitsap County. The county is on the west side of Puget Sound and includes Bainbridge Island and Bremerton on the Kitsap Peninsula, which hosts a major U.S. Navy base. The Kitsap authority is seeking $4 million for the electric hydrofoil ferry’s design and $18 million for its construction.
