Americas News
Damen Ferry Project Latest to Go Full Electric
Two newbuild ferries destined to operate in the Canadian waters of the Great Lakes are the latest to be built with full electric propulsion.
As Ship & Bunker previously reported, last year Damen Shipyards Group (Damen) won the contract for the design, build, and delivery of the new vessels that were originally envisaged to be "hybrid-ready", enabling them to be fitted with batteries when required.
Today, Damen says the Government of Ontario has now accepted its proposal to build both ferries with full electric propulsion - a move it says will reduce emissions by the equivalent of 7 million kg of carbon dioxide per year.
The project includes the installation of an automated mooring system, as well as charging system via which the vessels will be automatically connected to the shore power system for recharging the batteries.
The move is not expected to change the original performance profile of the ferries, the company notes.
The move comes amid a growing trend for short-sea operators to opt for full-electric power, with Fjord1 and Stena Line this month also announcing plans to switch bunkers for batteries.
