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North America to Receive Its First Zero Emission, Fully Electric Car Ferries

Damen Shipyard Galati waved goodbye to its first car/passenger ferries built for North America, with the ability to operate fully electric. The vessels are on their way to Lake Ontario, Canada, where they’ll begin operations.
Damen Shipyards delivers first fully electric car ferries to operate in North America 6 photos
Photo: Damen Shipyards
Damen Shipyards delivers first fully electric car ferries to operate in North AmericaDamen Shipyards delivers first fully electric car ferries to operate in North AmericaDamen Shipyards delivers first fully electric car ferries to operate in North AmericaDamen Shipyards delivers first fully electric car ferries to operate in North AmericaDamen Shipyards delivers first fully electric car ferries to operate in North America
The 223-ft (68 m) Amherst Islander II and the 321-ft (98 m) Wolfe Islander IV have been loaded on the transport vessel Super Servant 4, and are expected to arrive at their destination this month. They were ordered by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and, according to Damen, they’ll help reduce emissions by the equivalent of 15.4 million pounds (7 million kg) of carbon dioxide per year.

Amherst Islander II is the smaller of the ships, with a length of approximately 230 ft (70 m), featuring a loading capacity of up to 42 cars and up to 300 passengers. Its bigger sibling is Wolfe Islander IV, which measures close to 330 ft (100 m), with a capacity of 83 cars and up to 399 passengers. Both vessels have a maximum speed of 12 knots.

Because the ships are designed to operate in Canada, they are both suitable for harsh winter conditions, being able to fully operate at -25 degrees Celsius (-13 Fahrenheit). They feature 1B Ice class hulls and 1A Ice class azimuth thrusters.

Even though they are able to operate in full-electric mode, the two ships have twin diesel generators installed as well, in order to allow hybrid and full diesel propulsion for maximum redundancy, as explained by Damen.

Amherst Islander II and Wolfe Islander IV represent the completion of the first stage in a two-phase project. The other step is for Damen to work with the Ontario government to install the facilities that will enable the ships to use shore power supplied via integrated shore charging and mooring systems. With this solution, the vessels would be able to recharge their batteries between the short crossings to/from the islands, while they are loading or unloading.
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About the author: Cristina Mircea
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Cristina’s always found writing more comfortable to do than speaking, which is why she chose print over broadcast media in college. When she’s not typing, she also loves riding non-motorized two-wheelers, going on hikes with her dog, and rocking her electric guitars.
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