Four new hybrid electric Island Class vessels are planned to be pressed into service on central and north-Island ferry routes after a major capital expenditure was approved by the BC Ferries Commissioner.
By 2027, the four new vessels are expected to enter service on the routes connecting Nanaimo Harbour and Gabriola Island (two vessels) and Campbell River and Quadra Island (two vessels), with corresponding electrical upgrades for shore-based rapid charging made to the four terminals on these routes. The purchases will also increase capacity for passengers across the ferry system by redeploying ferries currently serving those routes.
“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,” Nicolas Jimenez, President and CEO of BC Ferries says in a press release. “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.”
The Island Class vessels that currently serve the above routes will be able to be redeployed elsewhere to benefit a number of communities by increasing capacity and addressing current and future demands. Specifically, with two-vessel service, the Crofton to Vesuvius route will see capacity increased by 20 per cent as well as increased frequency.
READ MORE: B.C. Ferries’ hybrid vessels begin Nanaimo-Gabriola service
The Quadra to Cortes route capacity will increase by about 70 per cent through the deployment of a larger vessel. Once the new vessels are in place, the Quadra-Cortes route will be serviced by one of the vessels that formerly served the Nanaimo-Gabriola or Campbell River-Quadra Island route. The vessels on these routes are new themselves, having been in service for less than two years (one year in the CR-Quadra route).
READ MORE: New two-ferry service to Quadra Island begins in January
Meanwhile, the existing system relief vessel will be redeployed to the Denman to Hornby route year-round, doubling its capacity and particularly improving travel certainty throughout the year.
The new vessels will also create the potential for an additional seasonal capacity increase from Salt Spring (Fulford Harbour) to Swartz Bay. The project also supports having a standby relief vessel in place, which can help maintain service levels during refit periods on all routes serviced by Island Class vessels.
The introduction of these four new vessels will take BC Ferries a step closer toward standardization of the fleet which can help reduce the number of vessel classes the company operates. This in turn helps with maintenance, refit, training and other operational activities.
The Island Class electrification project will also receive funding from the Government of British Columbia through the monetization of low carbon fuel credits that BC Ferries will earn under the Province’s Renewable and Low Carbon Fuel Requirements Regulation. This project is estimated to reduce emissions by 10,000 tons of CO2 equivalent, supporting the Province’s CleanBC goals and bringing BC Ferries closer to its 2030 targets.
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