Construction Underway On BC Ferries Battery-Electric Hybrid Vessels

Construction is underway on two of four new battery-electric hybrid vessels for BC Ferries. Steel cutting has begun at a shipyard in Romania.

The new Island Class vessels will serve Nanaimo Harbour to Gabriola Island and Campbell River to Quadra Island, with plans for fleet redeployment to address capacity constraints on Routes 6 (Crofton to Vesuvius), 24 (Quadra to Cortes), and 22 (Denman to Hornby). 

“These vessels represent a significant advancement in our fleet renewal efforts, aligning with our strategic vision for operational excellence and sustainability,” Ed Hooper, Executive Director of Shipbuilding at BC Ferries.

“The start of construction brings us one step closer to realizing the benefits these vessels will bring to our customers and the communities that rely on us to get them where they need to go.”

Each vessel will accommodate nearly 47 vehicles and 400 passengers and are designed to operate on renewable BC Hydro electricity, significantly reducing BC Ferries environmental footprint, reducing emissions by 10,000 tons of CO2 equivalent.

For details, visit BC Ferries.