BC Ferries to add four more hybrid electric ships to fleet by 2027

BC Ferries' first new Island Class hybrid-electric vessels arrived in Victoria on January 18, 2020. (BC Ferries)

The first wave of upcoming new ship orders for the BC Ferries fleet is proceeding as planned.

The ferry corporation announced today the independent BC Ferries Commissioner has approved its major capital expenditure strategy, which enables the company to go ahead with its plan to buy four new hybrid electric Island Class vessels.

This will grow BC Ferries’ Island Class fleet to 10 vessels, including the first six new vessels that progressively went into service between 2020 and 2022.

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Island Class vessels are small ships dedicated to serving minor routes. Each of the existing Island Class vessels hold up to 400 passengers and about 50 vehicles. These vessels are currently hybrids, but with further investment they can be converted to fully electric ships.

The four new additional Island Class vessels will be dedicated to two routes — between Nanaimo Harbour and Gabriola Island, and between Campbell River and Quadra Island. Each route will be served by two of the new vessels.

Additionally, electrical upgrades will be made for shore-based rapid charging at the four terminals on these routes.

bc ferries island class damen shipyards poland

BC Ferries’ sixth Island Class vessel launched into water on April 21, 2021 at the Damen Shipyards in Poland. (BC Ferries)

bc ferries island class victoria inner harbour

BC Ferries’ third Island Class vessel arriving at Victoria Inner Harbour on July 22, 2021. (BC Ferries)

“BC Ferries proposed these four new hybrid Island Class vessels because added capacity is critical to helping us get people where they need to go efficiently and reliably,” said Nicolas Jimenez, president and CEO of BC Ferries, in a statement.

“As the Commissioner has noted in her decision, this project will deliver improved customer service, help lower our costs related to crewing and training, and contribute to safe and reliable service for passengers up and down the coast.”

With the procurement bidding process now beginning to seek a shipyard to build the fleet expansion, these new additional Island Class vessels are expected to arrive in 2027.

The four new additional Island Class vessels will increase BC Ferries’ overall network capacity by enabling a reshuffling of the fleet deployment strategy.

The existing older vessels being used on the future Island Class routes will be redeployed to other routes where greater capacity is needed, including a 20% capacity increase for the route between Crofton and Vesuvius, a 70% capacity increase for the route between Quadra and Cortes, and the redeployment of the existing system relief vessel to the route between Denman and Hornby year-round, which will double the route’s capacity.

There could also be a future additional seasonal capacity increase for the route between Salt Spring (Fulford Harbour) and Swartz Bay, and standby relief vessel operations to maintain service levels when there are service disruptions.

BC Ferries’ third Island Class vessel arriving at Victoria Inner Harbour on July 22, 2021. (BC Ferries)

BC Ferries’ first two Island Class hybrid-electric vessels loaded onto the Sun Rise for delivery from Romania to BC on November 20, 2019. (BC Ferries)

BC Ferries also notes the expanded Island Class fleet supports their goal of fleet standardization to reduce the number of vessel classes, which will improve maintenance, training, and operations.

In addition to the new Island Class vessels, BC Ferries has plans to order seven large ships to serve the major routes between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island. The first of the new large ships to replace the aging fleet is expected to enter service in 2029.

In total, BC Ferries will be acquiring a total of 11 new vessels through the mid-2030s.

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