Beachable Hybrid River Ferry Designed by Navtech

Canadian naval architecture firm Navtech designed the recently delivered 'Peter Fraser', a 33-meter Ro-Ro ferry for operation on the St. Lawrence River in shallow waters between Isle- Verte and Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs.

Peter Fraser, say the designers, is the very first in the Americas, to be equipped with a Hybrid diesel- electric and lithium ion battery power system. The green technology ferry was built by Chantier Naval Forillon of Gaspé (Quebec, Canada) for Société des traversiers du Québec following a Quebec Government investment worth over 10 million Canadian dollars for a low carbon emission ferry.

The ferry is equipped with four SCHOTTEL Pump-Jet model SPJ 57 RD each powered by an ABB 220 kW electric motor which provides outstanding manoeuvrability capabilities. The pilot chair is equipped with two  joysticks that provide fully integrated control of the pump-jets.

Power can be supplied either by two (2) Volvo Penta D16 MG diesel generators of 477kWe/600V each and/or by the EcoPower 400 kWh battery bank. The vessel hybrid electrical and control system was designed, supplied and installed by Techsol, an Imtech Marine company.

Shallow water operation
The vessel has a service draft of 0.85 m with 30 tons of pay-load and a maximum draft of 1.1m with 110 tons of pay-load. Due to the location of the service, the vessel has a strengthened bottom and is intended to be beached at every low tide.