US government agency that operates automobile and passenger ferry service Washington State Ferries (WSF) has decided to convert its largest vessels to hybrid-electric power.
As informed, the contract for the conversion of up to three umbo Mark II-class ferries was awarded to local shipbuilding and shiprepair company Vigor.
While converting WSF’s largest ferries to hybrid-electric power, Vigor will also update aging propulsion system controls to extend the life expectancy of these vessels.
This contract is for the conversion of two vessels at approximately $100 million with a fixed-price option to convert the third vessel in 2025. The move is part of WSF’s journey to zero emissions by 2050.
“This contract is a big step toward providing our ferry-served communities with better air quality and more sustainable service,” said Matt von Ruden , System Electrification Program Administrator.
“We’re tackling the biggest emitters in our fleet first, the Jumbo Mark IIs, which contribute 26% of our ferries’ greenhouse gas emissions. When our terminals are electrified in 2026, we expect emissions from these three vessels to drop by roughly 95%.”
This September, Vigor will start work on Wenatchee at its Harbor Island shipyard in Seattle. The ferry is expected to reenter service on the Seattle/Bainbridge route next summer. Vigor will then begin converting Tacoma in 2024. WSF has the option to extend the contract to convert a third boat, Puyallup, in 2025.
Conversion of the state’s largest ferries to hybrid-electric power marks WSF’s first step toward electrification of the ferry system. This innovative initiative drastically reduces greenhouse gas emissions and prepares Washington for a changing climate. The program will:
This is the largest conversion contract in WSF’s $3.98 billion electrification program. Over the next 17 years, WSF will spend $3.7 billion to electrify or build new ferries and $280 million on terminals.
So far, WSF has received $1.34 billion, with $1.03 billion from the 2022 Move Ahead Washington transportation package.
This state funding builds on over $40 million in competitive grants, demonstrating a commitment at both the state and federal levels to address climate change by reducing transportation system emissions.