Construction has officially begun on the first two of the four new battery-electric hybrid Island Class vessels for BC Ferries at DAMEN Shipyards Galati in Romania, according to BC Ferries's release.
Key features and benefits of the new Island Class vessels include:
Increased capacity: each vessel will accommodate nearly 47 vehicles and 400 passengers.
Enhanced environmental sustainability: designed to operate on renewable BC Hydro electricity, these vessels will significantly reduce the environmental footprint, supporting the Province’s CleanBC goals and bringing us closer to 2030 targets by reducing emissions by 10,000 tons of CO2 equivalent.
Improved crew deployment: the new design will streamline crew operations, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness by having similar technology and protocols across the fleet.
Quieter ships: the updated propulsion system will reduce underwater radiated noise, ensuring quieter operations – benefiting marine life and enhancing the overall passenger experience.
The new Island Class vessels will serve Routes 19 (Nanaimo Harbour to Gabriola Island) and 23 (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). This project will result in significant capacity increases and improved travel certainty, particularly during refit periods.