Damen lays keel for two BC Ferries’ all-electric vessels

Damen Shipyards Galati, part of the Dutch Damen Group, has laid the keel for the first two of four fully electric ferries for Canadian ferry operator BC Ferries.

The keel laying ceremony, which took place in Romania on November 1, 2024, marked “an important milestone” in the third phase of construction of the Island Class ferries which will bring the total number of Damen vessels in the BC Ferries fleet to ten.

During the recent second phase of the program, Damen delivered four hybrid diesel-electric ferries. These reduced emissions vessels were intended to pave the way for the development of fully electric vessels.

Now, with availability of renewable shore power to charge the vessels, the four fully electric vessels will be able to conduct their services with zero emissions. As such, the ferries are making an important contribution to BC Ferries’ goal to reduce emissions by 10,000 tons of CO2 equivalent by 2030.

In July this year, the Romanian shipyard cut the first steel for the newbuild pair which will operate on renewable BC Hydro electricity.

“Reaching the keel laying stage brings us one step closer to putting these vessels into service. It’s exciting to see our vision for fully electric ferries coming to life. These ferries will not only reduce our environmental impact, but also increase capacity, improve service reliability and provide a quieter, more efficient travel experience for our customers,” Nicolas Jimenez, BC Ferries CEO, commented.

The vessels—based on the Damen RoRo 8117 E3 design—will transport up to 390 passengers, together with up to 47 vehicles between Nanaimo and Gabriola Island, and Campbell River and Quadra Island. Each ferry will operate with zero emissions by using renewable shore power for battery charging. 

In addition to the vessels, Damen will also supply BC Ferries with the charging facilities required to recharge the ferries’ batteries during (dis)embarkation. To ensure the success of the charging infrastructure, Damen will be conducting tests on a charging tower installed at the Galati yard.

At the present time, Damen has six fully electric ferries under contract to be constructed at the Galati yard. This includes the four Island Class ferries, which are scheduled to be operational in Canada during 2027, as well as two ferries for the City of Toronto.

BC Ferries’ fully electric vessels are said to be “a critical part” of the company’s broader strategy to reduce corporate emissions by 2030. The four new electric ferries, scheduled to begin arriving in BC by 2027, will contribute to this goal by advancing BC Ferries’ transition from hybrid to fully electric operations as renewable shore power infrastructure becomes more accessible.

In September 2024, the Canadian ferry operator unveiled plans to order five of seven new environmentally friendly vessels for its busiest routes, with the remaining two to be built in a later phase.

The new vessels were designed in collaboration with Norwegian naval architecture and ship design firm LMG Marin to be able to carry up to 360 standard-sized vehicles and 2,100 passengers, marking a significant capacity increase from the 250-310 vehicles and 1,200-1,500 passengers that the retiring vessels currently accommodate. They will also be among “the largest” double-ended ferries in the world, BC Ferries explained.

A shipyard for the project is expected to be selected next year, with ship deliveries planned to start in 2029.